If you haven’t heard, Los Angeles is set to host the Olympics in 2028. Los Angeles International Airport LAX is already the busiest origin and destination airport in the United States and a major gateway to international destinations all over the world. Los Angeles is planning to be ready for the future with what is officially being called the Landside Access Modernization Program (LAMP).
The Challenges Facing LAX:
(Image courtesy of the City of Los Angeles)
- Over 50% of departing LAX passengers drive to LAX
- Over 6,000 vehicles enter LAX during peak periods
- 66 million passengers flew through LAX during 2013 – and that number is set to increase
The Solution:
(Image courtesy of the City of Los Angeles)
LAX is planning a 4-pronged action plan to address the challenges. The end result is to look like this:
(Image courtesy of the City of Los Angeles)
Part I: Automated People Mover (APM)
The APM will include an airport train system that snakes through the new airport layout, ultimately connecting the Metro Station to the central terminal. This phase will also include the “Sky Walker” which is an automated walkway that connects the terminals to the people mover, making it possible to now cross from the North terminals to the South terminals without taking a bus.
(Image courtesy of the City of Los Angeles)
(Image courtesy of the City of Los Angeles)
Part II: Intermodal Transportation Facilities (ITF)
The ITF portion of the modernization program will include two building complexes – West and East – and allow these locations to be used for airport drop-offs and access the People Mover train system.
(Image courtesy of the City of Los Angeles)
Part III:Â The Consolidated Rent-A-Car Center (CONRAC)
This portion of the project will consolidate all the rental car options into one location with freeway access (a huge improvement over the current scattered site/shuttle operations).
(Image courtesy of the City of Los Angeles)
Part IV: Metro Rail and Bus Connections
The final component in the plan aims to finally give Los Angeles a real solution to providing passengers with easy and direct access to the Metro system (without having to decipher a confusing system of multiple buses).
(Image courtesy of the City of Los Angeles)
(Image courtesy of the City of Los Angeles)
The Bottom Line:
The LAMP Program will cost an estimated $15 billion dollars and aim to make LAX operate more efficiently and intuitively – but it is arguably overdue for a city the size of Los Angeles. Ultimately, these modernizations aim to make LAX a “world-class airport” by making the traveling experience much better for passengers.
