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Check Out The Plans For The Long-Awaited LAX Metro Station
Well, LAX-adjacent. The proposed station—and multi-modal transportation center—will still be a mile east of the airport, but we'll take what we can get. Metro has been studying the possibility of LAX-related transit since 1988, but the Aviation Boulevard/96th Street station was first approved as an addition to the coming Crenshaw/LAX line in June 2014 and a draft environmental impact report (EIR) that outlines all Metro's plans was released Wednesday. An easy connection from the Aviation Boulevard/96th Street station to the actual airport will be available via an automated people mover. The people mover will be free for airport users and run 24 hours a day, with a mere two-to-three minute wait time between cars. The people mover will have a total of six stations, with three stops in LAX terminals, a stop at the Metro facility, and stations at airport parking and rental car facilities.
The approximately 9.5-acre site, bounded by Aviation Boulevard and Arbor Vitae Street (and currently occupied by a car rental facility), could be completed as soon as 2021 if that Metro ballot measure passes. The proposed plan includes three light rail platforms (which would connect to both the Green Line and the Crenshaw/LAX line), a bus plaza, a bicycle hub, a pedestrian plaza, passenger vehicle pickup and drop-off area and a Metro transit center/terminal building, according to the draft EIR.
There would also be a strong bicycle and pedestrian focus. The bicycle hub would be able to accommodate up to 150 bicycles in a secure, indoor environment, and plans also detail proposed space for short-term parking for an additional 50 bikes. There are also plans for a protected bike lane on W. Manchester Avenue, which is a few blocks away. Amenities for the bikers may include a repair area and showers and lockers, which would be pretty rad: imagine biking to the airport, stashing your ride in short-term parking, showering and then jumping on the people mover to the airport. In terms of getting to the station on two wheels, L.A.'s Mobility Plan 2035 calls for protected bike lanes on both Aviation Boulevard and Arbor Vitae Street, which will hopefully be built by the time the station opens. See below for map of the proposed lanes (emphasis ours):
And for the walkers among us, the west side of Aviation Boulevard would include a 15-foot sidewalk to promote pedestrian accessibility, and all the project components would be linked together by a continuous system of elevated mezzanine walkways.
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The bus plaza could have as many as 20 active bus bays and up to 18 layover bays, and will likely include retail kiosks with coffee and concessions. We are crossing our fingers for an In-N-Out.
In conclusion, we ask (beg?) all Angelenos to get it together this November and please vote yes on Measure R2, which would implement the half-cent sales tax increase necessary to put Metro's roughly $120 billion plan to fix transportation in Los Angeles into action. Go big or go home, right?
Here are some more images:
Southwest view of the proposed site:
Northwest view of the proposed site:
[h/t: Urbanize.LA]
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