Construction crews broke ground in mid-June on the long-awaited light rail station that will connect riders on the almost-completed LA Metro Crenshaw/LAX Line to the airport’s currently-under-construction Automated People Mover.
“We are finally here to bring a train to the planes ... Angelenos have literally been waiting for this their entire lives,” Mayor Eric Garcetti said.
The $898.6-million Airport Metro Connector Project is expected to be completed in 2024 and will include train platforms, a 16-bay bus plaza, a bike hub, a private vehicle drop-off zone and direct access to the LAX Automated People Mover, a 2.25-mile train system with six total stations that will connect people to their terminals and a car rental facility. That train system is expected to be ready for passengers in 2023. The Crenshaw/LAX Line is expected to be completed later this year.
“Everyone traveling to or from LAX should have access to modern, reliable public transportation that gets them to their destination on time,” Garcetti said. “The Airport Metro Connector is a historic step toward reimagining how travelers experience our airport -- a turning point that will be a source of jobs and economic growth, reduce congestion, and help our airport realize its potential as a world-class gateway to Los Angeles.”
The connector station, which will be called the Aviation/96th Street Station, will also have an L.A. Metro customer service center, interactive information kiosks, public restrooms and commercial space. The station is being built to meet the criteria for a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold rating and will have 550,000-plus kilowatts of solar panels, native landscaping and electric bus charging stations.
“What you’re going to see built here isn’t just another platform, it’s not even just the biggest light rail platform in the Metro system. It is actually a station, it is a hub, it is a gathering place. There will be amenities, there will be a welcome center there, there will be restrooms there. That’s a bit unusual for the transit system in Los Angeles,” said Councilman Mike Bonin.
“This is going to be the front door to the airport and the transfer from mass transit to the airport. It’s going to be an amazing thing. Today is just the beginning.”
The project is funded partly through the sales tax raised by Measure R, a ballot measure passed in November 2008, and Measure M, a ballot measure passed in November 2016, Garcetti said.
