The Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners has big plans for Los Angeles International (LAX).
On Nov. 19, the board announced its intent to improve the transportation system at the airport through a $5 billion Landside Access Modernization Program. The program would include an automated people mover that would connect the Central Terminal Area to a new consolidated rent-a-car facility, with stops in between at new parking facilities and a station that connects to the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority regional transit system. Officials say it will relieve traffic congestion around the airport and improve access options.
The APM would be free to all users and consist of an elevated 2.25-mile-long guideway with six stations, bridges to airport terminals, parking garages and fixed facilities.
The CONRAC will include all rental car agencies operating at LAX at one location. Parts of the LAMP includes two Intermodal Transportation Facilities, as well as improvements to the roadways. The environmental review and clearance process is underway for the LAMP.
The goal, put forth by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, is to deliver the LAMP no later than 2023, while controlling costs, minimizing construction impacts on LAX operations and creating opportunities for small and local businesses.
“We are one step closer to bringing rail to LAX and making it easier to get in and out of the airport – all while easing traffic in the surrounding neighborhoods,” says Garcetti. “This $5 billion project adds to the continuous effort to transform LAX into the world-class airport Los Angeles deserves, and this strategy to deliver the automated train and rental car center will help us finish these projects on time and on budget.”
The chosen delivery method for the APM and CONRAC is design-build-finance-operate-maintain, rather than the design-bid-build method. The delivery methods for the other elements will be determined at a later date.
“The DBFOM method allows for a process that benefits [Los Angeles World Airports] and is inclusive of our values: comprehensive environmental review, transparency with our communities, project labor agreements and participation opportunities for local and small businesses,” says Deborah Flint, executive director of LAWA. “Today’s announcement of our preferred delivery method is reflective of a 21st century solution that will allow us to reach across the global, regional and local marketplace to bring the very best teams together to deliver a complex and innovative structure for one of the world’s busiest airports.”
