LAX

[StethJeff]

Pink's Hot Dogs to open at LAX

To me, this was even bigger news than Lamar Odom.

After long overseas trips, Pink's will be the perfect welcome back home. Can't wait to load up on Huell Howsers at the airport!

[rs913]

These LAX renovation plans are really interesting, and will hopefully become reality as soon as possible. SFO's international terminal is really nice...the same should be true for LAX.

[Swinefeld]

Question for you LA people. What's the best way to get from LAX to downtown? I'm flying in on Thursday.

[202_Cyclist]

Swinefeld-- the best way to get from LAX to downtown is via the Flyaway bus. It is $7 one-way (it used to cost $3). The bus is air-conditioned, clean, and leaves from LAX every 30 min. Here's some info: http://www.lawa.org/welcome_LAX.aspx?id=292 .

[Swinefeld]

Swinefeld-- the best way to get from LAX to downtown is via the Flyaway bus. It is $7 one-way (it used to cost $3). The bus is air-conditioned, clean, and leaves from LAX every 30 min. Here's some info: http://www.lawa.org/welcome_LAX.aspx?id=292 .
Thanks for the info! How long does the ride take? How much would a taxi cost from LAX to Downtown?

[202_Cyclist]

When I used the bus it took about 25-30 minutes to reach Union Station but we went at 10PM. Since it is Los Angeles, a large part of the trip length depends on the amount of congestion on the 110 freeway. I defer to others on the cost of a taxi.

[LosAngelesBeauty]

I believe a taxi trip is a set fee to Downtown LA from LAX. I think it's like $40-$50 a trip? Why not just take FlyAway? It's $7.

[LosAngelesBeauty]

Pink's Hot Dogs to open at LAX


Which terminal will Pink's be in? I'm assuming Tom Bradley.

[Swinefeld]

I believe a taxi trip is a set fee to Downtown LA from LAX. I think it's like $40-$50 a trip? Why not just take FlyAway? It's $7.
I'm using FlyAway.

[StethJeff]

Which terminal will Pink's be in? I'm assuming Tom Bradley.

TBIT is what I read. :banana:

[Steve2726]

Here's more info on the TBIT expansion, including a construction timeline-

http://www.laxtec.com/bradley_west_news/june2009.pdf

[KarLarRec1]

I arrived at Bradley from London on Sunday night. I was pleasantly surprised at the remodeled Customs area -- not a sufficiently large space but they have used what space they have pretty well. There were tons of people, but it was not chaotic, and we got through quickly. The design (glass/stainless steel) is finally decent. Not amazing, but not cringe-worthy. Finally!

I wonder what the Customs area in the other international terminal is like. Terminal 2 is it? The one with Virgin Atlantic and Qantas, I believe. That one is atrocious. I hope that's been refurbished since I last arrived there in 2007.

[202_Cyclist]

American Airlines may cut workforce at LAX

Fort Worth Star-Telegram
August 31, 2009
ANDREA AHLES

American Airlines may cut up to 23 airport services positions at Los Angeles
International airport, according to a government notice the company filed in
California today.

The workforce reduction is a result of the capacity cuts the Fort Worth-based carrier is making to its fall schedule and had previously announced in June. The notices were sent to 289 workers at LAX that could be affected by the job cuts.

"These are painful, but necessary, decisions given the current economic and
industry environment," the carrier said in a statement. "American will work to
minimize the number of involuntary furloughs by offering voluntary programs to eligible Airport Services and Cargo employees."

The WARN notice says that 11 fleet service clerks/crew chiefs and 12 agents
positions are scheduled to be cut at LAX. The actual number of employees laid of by American could be less depending on how many employees accept voluntary buyout or part-time work packages.

[202_Cyclist]

Irvine backs direct, nonstop bus service to LAX
Officials say the service will provide affordable link to Orange County's busiest transit hub.

By SEAN EMERY
ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/irvine-airport-lax-2556560-flyaway-station

IRVINE – City leaders have given the green light to a new direct bus link between Los Angeles International Airport and the Irvine train station, hoping to provide Orange County travelers an alternative to freeway traffic congestion and airport parking woes.

The City Council tonight unanimously approved an agreement with LAX operators to expand their FlyAway direct bus service program into Irvine, setting the stage for what they hope will be a convenient and affordable travel option.

The FlyAway service is expected to provide 12 nonstop trips per day to and from LAX. One way fares will range from $20 to $25 per trip, according to city staff reports.

Irvine leaders are hoping to get the bus service up and running before Thanksgiving, in order to meet the needs of travelers during peak season.

The service would bolster the Irvine train station's reputation as a key transit hub. Served by Amtrak, Metrolink and the Orange County Transportation Authority, the Irvine station is the busiest transit center in Orange County.

"I think it will be a one-stop traveling solution," Irvine Mayor Sukhee Kang said.

The FlyAway service is run by Los Angeles World Airports, a city department tasked with overseeing LAX, along with Van Nuys and Ontario airports. The service includes three lines, connecting LAX to Van Nuys, Westwood and Union Station in downtown Los Angeles.

"It's saving them gas and cash," Spokeswoman Treva Miller said of the FlyAway passengers. "People get to relax on the buses and once they get here they drop you off on the curb by your terminal."

The master plan for LAX calls for six more FlyAway sites to be established by 2015, Miller said, as officials look at ways to reduce congestion around the airport.

The drive to connect Irvine and LAX dates back more than a decade, when local leaders embroiled in the fight over a proposed El Toro airport were seeking an alternative to connect Orange County residents with existing transit options.

"Many of us felt we didn't have a shortage of airport capacity, we had a deficiency in ground transportation around Southern California," Irvine Councilman Larry Agran said. "If we could better move people to existing airport facilities … we would be better off, and El Toro airport would be seen as unneeded and unwanted."

Several commuters at the Irvine train station today said the FlyAway bus system seems to address many of the headaches that lead them to avoid LAX.

"For me, to go to LAX is a trip in itself," said Jeff Parks, a Laguna Beach resident. "Parking is horrible and the drive is just ridiculous."

The commuters said they prefer to fly out of John Wayne Airport whenever possible, but noted that some flights are available only out of LAX, or are cheaper from Los Angeles.

"You have the stress of getting ready, but if there is something here, you can plan accordingly," said Arnell Alambra, an Irvine resident.

Travelers using the FlyAway buses would be able to leave their cars for up to 30 days in a parking lot adjacent to the train stations parking structure. Parking in the structure itself is restrained by a 72 hour limit.

"It would be much more practical if you had a way to get to LAX without the parking issues," said Matt Davidson, a Lake Forest resident.

The agreement also calls for Los Angeles World Airport to bankroll nearly $7,000 worth of work at the Irvine train station, including sidewalk repairs and new signage.

Airport leaders are required to sign off on the plan, with a vote expected later this month.

[dragonsky]

Flyaway Bus Service Between Irvine Station and LAX Offers Easy Parking, Transportation. Irvine Station, at 15215 Barranca Parkway, will have 500 parking spaces, where FlyAway passengers can park for free for up to 30 days.

[dragonsky]

LAX plans a consolidated car rental facility
The building to house car leasing operations is seen as a way to ease traffic and cut pollution at the airport.
By Jeff Gottlieb
The Los Angeles Times
February 26, 2010

Los Angeles International Airport officials are drafting plans to build a terminal that will house many of the area's rental car companies, providing space for 33,000 vehicles while helping untangle the airport's notorious congestion and cutting pollution.

The terminal, which could cost as much as $800 million, is also expected to make it easier for people to find their rental agencies or switch from one to another if the line is too long or it doesn't have the right car.

LAX has collected $47 million for the project since 2007 by charging a flat $10 fee on rentals from the 10 companies whose vans circle the airport looking for customers.

But the fee is not bringing in enough money, said Mark Adams, chief government affairs representative for Los Angeles World Airports, which operates LAX. In order to raise more funds, the airport is hoping to boost the surcharge through a daily fee rather than the current flat fee on rentals.

The airport is still several years from beginning construction of the terminal.

Rental companies now are located throughout the airport. Besides the 10 permitted to circle shuttles at LAX, others are scattered throughout Westchester, Inglewood and El Segundo. They are allowed to pick up customers only when called.

The consolidated facility is expected to cut by nearly half the number of airport trips by rental car courtesy vans, according to Adams.

Although airport traffic is down substantially since 9/11, rental agency vans make about 800,000 trips a year into the main airport, according to airport statistics, often with just one or two passengers.

With a consolidated rental facility, buses would shuttle passengers between it and airline terminals, dropping the number of trips to 437,000 annually. Trips would be cut even further if a planned light-rail system with stops at the rental car terminal is built.

Adams said the rental terminal is "considered the most significant air quality mitigation" effort in the airport's master plan.

The project is part of myriad plans to modernize the aging airport, including the $1.54-billion refurbishing of the Bradley International Terminal that began last week.

Chris Brown, managing editor of Auto Rental News, said consolidated rental car centers are becoming more common and have been built at airports in Kansas City, Atlanta, Las Vegas and Orlando. LAX, he said, has the second- or third-highest number of rentals in the country.

Plans originally called for the terminal to be built on parking lot C at Sepulveda Boulevard and 96th Street. But more recently, an area known as Manchester Square has become the preferred location. It is bounded by Century Boulevard on the south, Aviation Boulevard on the west, Arbor Vitae Street on the north and La Cienega Boulevard on the east.

The Manchester Square site is closer to the 405 and 105 freeways; and because it is out of the flight path, a higher terminal could be built.

Preliminary plans call for a three-story building that would hold 8,000 cars, with room outside for 25,000 additional overflow cars that serve as backup for other Southern California airport rentals.

Airports fund consolidated parking terminals with charges of $3 to $7 a day, Adams said. An average LAX rental is 4 1/2 days.

The more money the airport raises for the project, the less debt it would incur if it finances the project with a bond. The surcharges would end when the terminal is paid off, said Nancy Castles, spokeswoman for the airport agency.

The city is sponsoring a bill, which will be introduced by state Sen. Jenny Oropeza (D-Long Beach), that would allow the airport to change the current surcharge.

Rental car companies indicated they'd go along with the consolidated terminal, although they complain about increased charges and taxes added to car rentals.

"We think if the community wants to do this, we are very supportive," said Laura Bryant, spokeswoman for Enterprise Holdings, which owns National, Alamo and Enterprise car rentals. Consolidated car rental centers "are very consumer friendly."

[dragonsky]

LAX's On-Time Performance The Best In The Country
CBS
May 14, 2010 11:16 am US/Pacific

LOS ANGELES (CBS) ― The U.S. Department of Transportation says flights at Los Angeles International Airport were on time 85 percent of the time, more than any other big airport in the country.

Southern California's good weather was credited for the airport's improved on-time performance record. LAX is the second busiest airport in the United States and the sixth in the world.

LAX's on-time performance has improved, from 83 percent in March 2009. Overall, the nation's top 18 airports were on time an average of 80 percent of the time in March, compared to 78.4 percent in March 2009.

According to industry data source Airports: USA DataMiner, LAX is the top origin and destination airport in the country and number one for passengers who begin or end their trips at an airport, rather than connect to other flights.

http://cbs2.com/local/LAX.On.Time.2.1694758.html

[202_Cyclist]

LOS ANGELES (CBS) ― The U.S. Department of Transportation says flights at Los Angeles International Airport were on time 85 percent of the time, more than any other big airport in the country.

Southern California's good weather was credited for the airport's improved on-time performance record. LAX is the second busiest airport in the United States and the sixth in the world.

LAX doesn't have the fog that SFO has nor does it have the convective weather or winter snow/ice that the Northeast airports and O'Hare all have but I'd be surprised if it was the best large airport for on-time arrivals.

The second claim that LAX is the second busiest airport also doesn't seem correct. In previous years, both Atlanta and O'Hare had more passengers than LAX.

[202_Cyclist]

^This is very sloppy writing. In Jan-Feb 2010, LAX had the 5th highest amount of enplaned passengers, behind Atlanta, O'Hare, Denver, and Dallas-Fort Worth.

http://www.bts.gov/press_releases/2010/bts023_10/html/bts023_10.html#table_05

second, although LAX has an excellent on-time record, it is 8th out of 29 major airports for the period from Jan 1 - Mar. 31, 2010, not number one as claimed by this article.

http://www.bts.gov/programs/airline_information/airline_ontime_tables/2010_03/html/table_04.html

CBS should be ashamed of itself. Two minutes of fact-checking found major errors in this article.

[dragonsky]

http://www.latimes.com/media/graphic/2010-05/53933539.jpg

LAX inaugurates new cross-field taxiway
The route will reduce congestion resulting from ground traffic of new, larger jetliners, including the Airbus A380.
By Dan Weikel, Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times
May 25, 2010

With the help of a giant Airbus A380 jetliner, city officials Monday inaugurated a new cross-field taxiway at Los Angeles International Airport that is designed to improve the safety and efficiency of moving aircraft on the ground.

Situated west of the Tom Bradley International Terminal, the $88-million taxiway is 3,437 feet long and wide enough to accommodate the largest commercial planes as they travel between the north and south runway complexes.

The taxiway is one of several modernization projects underway at LAX, the third-busiest airport in the nation. The ribbon of concrete provides an alternative to the current cross-field routes, which were too narrow to allow an Airbus A380 to clear aircraft on the adjoining taxiway. The A380 has a wingspan almost as long as a football field.

In addition to the A380, the 100-foot-wide taxiway can handle the next generation of large wide-body aircraft, such as the Boeing 747-8 and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Officials for LAX and the Federal Aviation Administration say the new route will help reduce aircraft congestion that would result from construction of the Bradley West project, which includes new gates, new concourses and a great central hall filled with restaurants and concessions.

That work requires closing and relocating two existing cross-field taxiways immediately west of the Bradley terminal to make room for the improvements. Those taxiways will be widened and strengthened to handle larger jets.

"This is the first enabling project for the Bradley West," said Gina Marie Lindsey, director of Los Angeles World Airports. "It is also the first taxiway at LAX designed for the largest aircraft."

For Monday's ceremony, Qantas supplied an A380 that was en route from Australia. It landed on one of the airport's southern runways and then moved along the new taxiway to reach its gate on the north side of the Bradley terminal.

As the plane headed to the terminal, the airport's firefighting units heralded the opening of the taxiway with plumes from their water cannons.

[dragonsky]

Remodeled Bradley International Terminal puts emphasis on customer service
The $737-million renovations include two new boarding gates, a baggage handling system, an upgraded public waiting area and restaurants with specialty menus.
By Dan Weikel, Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times
May 26, 2010

The cavernous ticketing center of the newly remodeled Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX is airy and better lighted than it used to be. Crowded, chaotic conditions have been reduced because passengers no longer have to lug their bags to security scanners before check-in.

New facades beckon travelers to bars and restaurants on the mezzanine level. Downstairs, the dim arrival area has been transformed with a bistro, flower stands and translucent walls that change color like the decorative pylons at the airport entrance. The floors are terrazzo.

"I like it," said Janet Fitzgerald, 46, of New Zealand, who was headed with her family to a ticket counter recently. "I've never seen it better in here."

In one of the most visible signs that the modernization of Los Angeles International Airport is underway, city officials on Wednesday will mark completion of a $737-million renovation of the Bradley terminal — a portal for almost 9 million passengers a year that has not seen a major overhaul since 1984.

"This is the first phase of a total remake of the Bradley," said Gina Marie Lindsey, director of Los Angeles World Airports, which operates LAX. "This is a huge improvement for us. The terminal used to have a low level of customer service."

By 2013, the airport plans to make $3 billion to $4 billion in improvements related to the Bradley, which is at the western end of the terminal area.

LAX officials hope the projects will improve security, give the aging facility a contemporary feel and eliminate the crowding that frequently bothers travelers at peak times in the morning and late evenings.

The current project, which began in February 2007, involved a major renovation of the Bradley's interior and included new flooring, improved lighting, better signage for flight information, wider corridors and remodeled restrooms.

Two boarding gates were added to accommodate the next generation of wide-bodied airliners, such as the giant Airbus A380, the Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet, and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

In the hall reserved for customs and immigration inspections, high-capacity baggage carousels were installed to move luggage faster from aircraft to waiting passengers.

From there, travelers can leave the terminal by walking up gently sloping corridors that lead to a remodeled and roomy greeting lobby, where they can meet friends, relatives, or business associates.

There is a halo of lights in the ceiling and the longest video project ever installed at a U.S. airport to entertain people as they wait for passengers. Suspended from the roof, the media wall of 29 side-to-side, 46-inch display screens extends 90 feet in a serpentine pattern.

Among the concessions are a Petals flower shop, a money exchange and Daniels Bistro+Bar. The menu includes items not found at other airports, such as chicken and apple panini, flatbread pizzas and the house special — beef brisket panini with grilled onions, cheddar and arugula.

"It looks welcoming and is laid out well," Sam Magee, 41, of Los Angeles said as he waited in the terminal recently for his wife's parents to arrive from Japan.

The largest part of the project added 45,000 square feet to house a $140-million in-line baggage system that employs elaborate conveyors to move luggage from ticket counters to security scanners before it is loaded onto planes.

The system has eliminated the large boxy scanners in the Bradley lobby, which were a major inconvenience for passengers who had to carry their luggage to the devices during check-in.

LAX "should offer a travel experience worthy of a world-class city," said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. "These modernizations will improve the experience for travelers and provide the kind of sustainability, safety and security features necessary in this day and age."

LAX officials say, however, the next phase requires that at least $100 million worth of current improvements to 10 of 11 gates at the terminal will have to be torn out to make way for future construction.

Though the renovation offers a significant improvement in esthetics and convenience for passengers, Jack Keady, an aviation and airline consultant in Playa del Rey, cautioned that there are still major problems at LAX, which has often received low marks from the traveling public.

Arriving passengers are still being bused from remote gates to the Bradley terminal and traffic around the airport is terrible, Keady said. The new renovation "won't help if international travelers continue to come out of the Bradley and are met by diesel fumes and traffic congestion."

Keady and airport officials say the next phase of the Bradley overhaul should help relieve some of these concerns. Plans call for new concourses, additional gates that can handle larger aircraft and a grand central hall filled with restaurants and retail shopping.

[dragonsky]

http://shametrainla.typepad.com/.a/6a00e393399ea788340120a54c7a62970b-pi
Federal loan to speed work on Crenshaw light-rail line
Los Angeles Times
October 15, 2010 | 2:48 pm

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s effort to accelerate construction of local transit projects advanced Friday when the federal government announced that it would loan $546 million for a planned light-rail project that would run from the Crenshaw district to a station near Los Angeles International Airport.

The assistance is the first federal commitment to the mayor’s so-called 30/10 initiative, which calls for speeding up the completion dates of 12 transit projects planned by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, including the Westside subway extension.

"This is a substantial down payment," said Villaraigosa, who was in Washington, D.C., recently to lobby for federal assistance. "The money will help create about 5,000 jobs, free up funds for other projects and allow us to move ahead at an accelerated rate."

The loan will cover more than a third of the planning and construction costs of the Crenshaw light-rail project, which is now estimated to cost $1.4 billion.

The proposed line would run about 8 1/2 miles from Exposition and Crenshaw boulevards to the Green Line station at Aviation Boulevard near LAX.

-- Dan Weikel


Read More: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/10/villaraigosa-gains-546-million-federal-loan-to-speed-construction-of-crenshaw-light-rail.html

[dragonsky]

http://thesource.metro.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/crenshawLAXmap.jpg
Federal loan advances light rail for Crenshaw/LAX Transit Corridor project
Posted by Gayle Anderson on October 15, 2010 - 4:11 pm
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority

A $546-million federal loan that will enable Metro to more quickly build an 8.5-mile light rail line in the Crenshaw District was announced today by U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA).

It is the first federal funding received for a Measure R transit project and will accelerate the schedule for completion of the Crenshaw/LAX line to the next five or six years; the Crenshaw Line was scheduled to open in 2018 under Metro’s long-range plan. The low-interest loan will be repaid with Measure R revenues.

The funding is a major step forward for the 30/10 Initiative, the Metro policy that seeks to build 12 Measure R transit projects in the next 10 years instead of the next 30 by using federal loans and other financing.

In a news release Senator Boxer said, “This is a great day. The federal government — in partnership with local agencies and the Mayor’s office [L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa] — is helping to leverage local funding to accelerate creation of thousands of jobs, to speed construction of transportation improvements and to bring those benefits to the people of L.A. sooner than would otherwise be possible.”

Senator Boxer announced the funding package in a conference call today with Mayor Villaraigosa, Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, Los Angeles County Federation of Labor Executive Secretary-Treasurer Maria Elena Durazo and Metro CEO Art Leahy.

Mayor Villaraigosa was in Washington earlier this week to participate in a meeting with President Obama about upgrading the nation’s transportation infrastructure.

An official announcement will be made at a press conference to be held next Wednesday.

The $546 million loan from the federal Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) program will help get construction underway for the Crenshaw/LAX Transit Corridor project, an 8.5-mile light rail line in the Crenshaw District which will connect to the Metro Green Line and the Expo Line, currently under construction, eventually providing direct train service to a planned LAX transit center.

Metro is currently preparing environmental documents and soon will begin preliminary engineering. Construction could start in late 2011.

The Crenshaw/LAX line represents the largest public works investment in South Los Angeles in history, said Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas.

“Not only will this project bring much needed economic development to an important region of the County, but these federal dollars will result in more than 7,800 much needed jobs for our community during the development of this project. I will make every effort to see that these jobs are allocated fairly to both local residents and those who live in ZIP codes that are most impacted by high unemployment,” said Ridley-Thomas.

“I am very grateful to Senator Boxer and the Obama Administration for this down payment on our 30/10 initiative to move forward with the Crenshaw line and create jobs we need now,” said Mayor Villaraigosa. “Senator Boxer has been a tireless advocate for 30/10, and without her efforts this award would not have been possible.”

Here is a link to the news release issued by Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas. And here is a link to the news release issued by Mayor Villaraigosa.

-- Gayle Anderson


Read More: http://thesource.metro.net/2010/10/15/federal-loan-advances-light-rail-project-for-crenshawlax-transit-corridor/#more-13820