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LA has never been known exactly for public transport, but Metro is working overtime to change that. Especially in time for next year’s FIFA World Cup, the 2027 Super Bowl, and of course the 2028 Olympics. A big step in the right direction? Starting June 6th, access to Los Angeles International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the country, will be more streamlined thanks to the LAX/Metro Transit Center.
In the words of LA Mayor Karen Bass, today marks the beginning of a new era in our city. And to celebrate the big opening, riding the entire Metro system, rail line, bus, metro bike share and ride-sharing service Metro Micro is free from Friday to Sunday.
The LAX/Metro Transit Center has officially opened in Mariachi Music, with comments from city leaders including Mayor Bass, Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts, Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins and Metro Board Chairman Janice Hahn. Hopefully the new station means less fielding of horrifying requests from your friends.
LAX/METRO Transit Center Station Rail and Bus Connection
The new station at 9225 Aviation Boulevard closes the final gap on the K-line. This closes the final gap in the K-line running directly from Expo/Crenshaw to Redondo Beach. The adjacent centre at the airport fills the gap in that line where you need to take a bus to proceed south. And it’s the new end of the C line that starts with Norwalk (it also connects the C and K lines – an additional advantage).
Photo: Gillian Growbar for Timeout
If you live along the C or K line, the station is a godsend for your airport visit. But if you don’t live in Englewood or Downey, would this benefit you? Now, as you can see on the map below, these lines are to intersect with other lines. This means that with just one trip, you can find yourself on an airport-bound train. With the A-line (Azusa to Long Beach), you can travel to the C-line, and the E-line, which reaches downtown and East LA, meets the K-line. This means that those riders can map car-free routes to LAX. (From Santa Monica and Downtown there are buses that can probably take you to the station more directly and quickly.)
Courtesy Los Angeles Metro
In addition to two light rail lines stopping at the station, the LAX/Metro Transit Center also offers 14 bus lines including six metro bus lines with 16 bays and six metro bus lines and partner lines for bus travel. The station also offers Metro Micro Bay.
How about automated people movers?
Well, once I’ve done all the mental and actual navigation, including towing the luggage and reaching the LAX/Metro transit center, unfortunately it’s not done yet. At that time, you will need to take the LAX to the free Los Angeles World Airport Shuttle. It’s not a bad solution, but it’s a placeholder until the highly anticipated automated people movers are ready. This is expected to open in the end in early 2026 (although you can see that they are running tests through the station). Once that glorious day arrives, the APM allows travelers to step into the elevated train car and bypass traffic on their way to the terminal.
And now for the station itself. The idea has been decades and is a project completed on Metro’s ambitious 28, with actual construction beginning in 2021 on a nearly $900 million project and 28 initiatives over 28 years. The entire station site is approximately 500,000 square feet (the size of almost nine soccer fields). There are 11 elevators, 12 escalators and nine stairs, allowing you to access the bus bay at ground level, or ascend and then descend to the concourse to find a light rail train. The MTC can accommodate up to 5,000 passengers per hour.
Photo: Gillian Growbar for Timeout
There are no meal or shopping options like those found in major transport stations in some cities, but there are public toilets, customer service centres and automatic storage locations for 50 bikes. The visual centerpiece is “The Sun Distance,” an origami-like spiral sculpture by LA native artist Glenkaino, hanging over an escalator. Elsewhere at the station, digital displays depict 18 inspiring portraits of Metro Riders created by local artists.
There’s still more to do, but the LAX/Metro Transit Center is an impressive achievement that the city and its residents can be proud of. Connecting the different parts of LA with the steps to make the airport experience a little easier is a big win.
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