Airport operator Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) has announced its plans to construct a new transportation system at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) through a US$5bn Landside Access Modernization Program (LAMP).
The LAMP centerpiece will be an automated people mover (APM) that will connect the Central Terminal Area (CTA) with a new consolidated rent-a-car facility (CONRAC), with stops at new parking facilities and a station connecting with the Los Angeles (LA) regional transit system (metro). The project will help relieve traffic congestion around the CTA and on surrounding streets.
The APM, which will be free of charge to all users, will consist of an elevated 2.25-mile guideway with six stations, pedestrian bridges to airport terminals, parking garages and fixed facilities. The CONRAC will accommodate rental car agencies currently serving LAX at one convenient location. LAWA has initiated the environmental review and clearance process for LAMP, and is collaborating with key agency and community stakeholders throughout the process.
Eric Garcetti, mayor of Los Angeles, said, “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. This US$5bn project adds to the continuous effort to transform LAX into the world-class airport LA deserves, and this strategy to deliver the automated train and rental car center will help us finish these projects on time and on budget.”
After evaluating several different delivery methods, LAWA determined that the design-build-finance-operate-maintain (DBFOM) method is best suited to deliver the APM and CONRAC. The construction of the APM and CONRAC will run from 2017 to 2023.
Deborah Flint, executive director of LAWA, said, “The DBFOM method allows for a process that benefits LAWA and is inclusive of our values: comprehensive environmental reviews, transparency with our communities, project labor agreements and participation opportunities for local and small businesses.
“The 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.”