Los Angeles is known for many thingsâfun and sun, glitz and glamor, and traffic. To help remedy the latter, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) has embarked on its Landside Access Modernization Program (LAMP) at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), which aims to relieve congestion for people traveling to and from the fourth-busiest airport in the world and second busiest in the U.S.
Through its various congestion-relieving elements, the LAMP is expected to enhance the traveler experience and give customers time-certain access to terminals. To accomplish all this, there are five main components that will provide a more predictable and reliable commute to and from the airport â saving time and improving the overall user experience.
The Automated People Mover (APM) is an electric train system on a 2.25 mile elevated guideway with six stations total â three inside the Central Terminal Area (CTA) and three Outside.
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) broke ground on the APM project in March of 2019 and anticipates that the system will be operational in 2023. Pre-construction activitiesâsuch as utility relocations, geotechnical investigations and surveyingâbegan in 2018 and construction activities are underway at the future Maintenance and Storage Facility and within the CTA. Construction of the guidewayâthe elevated track along which the APM will runâwill start in Fall 2019. Late 2019 will see construction begin on the six stations and the first APM car will be delivered in late 2020. Major construction will be complete in mid-2022, at which point extensive testing will begin for several months. The APM will be open for passenger service in 2023.
During peak hours (9 a.m. to 11 p.m.), the APM will run nine trains, each with four cars. Capable of carrying up to 50 passengers and their luggage, with a total of 200 passengers per train. Train speed will top out at 47 mph. Trains will be available at each station every two minutes during peak hours with a total of 10 minutesâ travel time end-to-end (from the Consolidated Rent-A-Car Facility to the West CTA Station). For easy access, the APM trains will have large, wide doors and each car will have 12 seats designated for travelers in need. The APM will be FREE for all users and operate at all times. With an anticipated use of approximately 30 million passengers per year, it is estimated that the APM will result in 117,000 fewer vehicle miles traveled per day.
The APM trains, elevators, escalators and moving sidewalks provide for quick access to the terminals and stations. Passengers will be able to view real-time flight information, public art in a variety of media, and will see the iconic Theme Building from a brand new perspective as the train enters the CTA.
In addition to reducing traffic, the APM will leverage cutting-edge sustainability practices to reduce the airport areaâs carbon footprint. The systemâs fleet will consist of 44 cars that are fully electric, 98% recyclable and generate a portion of their own power through regenerative braking, while providing an industry-leading ride quality for users. The command center and maintenance facility generates nearly half of its power from solar energy and is designed to be LEED Gold Certified.
The Consolidated Rent-A-Car Facility (ConRAC) is one of the major components of LAXâs Landside Access Modernization Program (LAMP). Operational in 2023, it will consolidate rental car operations currently spread across the surrounding area of LAX into one location conveniently located adjacent to the 405 freeway.
LAX represents the No. 2 rental car market of any domestic airport and this new facility will create a better rental car experience for the hundreds of thousands of travelers renting cars each year.
Bordered by Arbor Vitae Street to the north, Aviation Boulevard to the west, Century Boulevard to the south and La Cienega Boulevard to the east, the approximately 6.4-million-square-foot facility will house over 18,000 rental car vehicles including ready/return, idle storage and employee parking spaces with a rental car leaving the facility approximately every two seconds during peak activities.
The ConRAC facility will provide direct connection to LAXâs Automated People Mover (APM) train system. With this direct connection, rental car shuttles will no longer be needed to shuttle customers to and from the Central Terminal Area (CTA), which will result in the elimination of more than 3,200 daily rental car shuttle trips on the surrounding streets and into and out of the CTA.
It also features a Quick Turn Around (QTA) area, allowing for the light maintenance of vehicles such as car washing, oil changes and tire rotation. This QTA facility will help alleviate traffic congestion by keeping operations within the footprint of the facility and not out on the city streets.
Multiple rental car companies representing several major brands will be housed inside the ConRAC facility. Smaller off-brand companies who choose not to relocate will pick up their customers curbside at the ConRAC facility.
The Intermodal Transportation Facility â West (ITF-West) is Los Angeles International Airportâs (LAX) new approximately 4,300 stall parking structure, which will be located between Westchester Parkway and 96th Street. The facility will provide drop-off/pick-up locations and short and long-term parking options. The four-story parking structure will be the first component of LAXâs $5.5 billion Landside Access Modernization Program (LAMP) to be completed and will open in 2021, giving travelers an alternative option to driving into the Central Terminal Area when LAX is at the height of construction. Once completed, it will be more than just a parking structure â it will be the new front door to LAX – with an express link to the terminal area via the Automated People Mover (APM) train, which will open in 2023.
The ITF-West will feature meet & greet space, valet parking, the potential for up to 5,000 square feet of concession space, Wi-Fi, and direct connection to an APM station. From 2021 to 2023, a shuttle will provide transportation to and from the Central Terminal Area.
Several New Roadway Improvements will be built concurrently with the Intermodal Transportation Facility (ITF) – West and Consolidated Rent-a-Car (ConRAC) facility to provide access to the facilities and improve traffic conditions in the surrounding area. Additional roadway improvements to alleviate traffic congestion in and around the airport will begin in 2023 and be completed by 2035.
Several new roadways will be built through 2023, creating new access points to the Intermodal Transportation Facility â West, Automated People Mover and Consolidated Rent-A-Car (ConRAC) Facility. One roadway improvement includes the new four-lane road called Jetway Boulevard, which will connect Westchester Parkway to Century Boulevard. Another improvement is the extension of 98th Street. Currently ending at Bellanca Avenue, 98th Street will extend all of the way to the 405 Freeway, providing easy access to the ConRAC and on and off-ramps of the freeway.
NOT JUST CHANGES, BUT SOLUTIONS!
- APM will offer time-certain transportation options to and from the airport  Â
- APM will relieve traffic congestion in and out of the airport and surrounding area by eliminating shuttle trips to/from the terminal area
- APM allows easy access to Metroâs new 96th Street/Aviation Blvd. transit station which will connect to both the LAX/Crenshaw and Green Lines
- ITF creates new, convenient locations for passenger pick-up, drop-off and parking
- ConRAC provides easier and more efficient access to rental cars
For additional information, visit the website @
https://www.lawa.org/
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