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Villaraigosa Sends Aid to LAX with a Mission: Connect a Train to It

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Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is moving one of his deputy mayors to Los Angeles World Airports, the department that runs LAX, Ontario and Palmdale airports. One big goal? Bring rail to LAX and Ontario Airport, according to the Daily Breeze.

Diego Alvarez, who will begin his new job on January 4th, will be LAWA's transportation coordinator, charged in part with the LAX problem, but also connecting Ontario airport with the envisioned Gold Line Foothill Extension. He might also be working on the Flyaway system, which must expand to nine lines by 2015.

Currently, the Metro Green Line stops at Aviation Boulevard and Imperial Highway, a two mile bus trip to LAX. The recently approved Crenshaw Line could beget a station one mile away at Century and Aviation boulevards. Various city council motions in past years have been submitted to study ways to bring the Green or Crenshaw lines closer to LAX. Those include studies of how to extend light rail to the airport and fees to fund construction.

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