The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) Board of Directors has voted to certify the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) for the Airport Metro Connector 96th Street Transit Station. The transit station will be added to the Crenshaw/LAX Line, which is currently under construction, and will provide an easy transfer to a future Automated People Mover (APM) that will connect to the LAX passenger terminals.
The transit station will be the new “gateway” to LAX for transit riders and will be served by the Metro Green and Crenshaw/LAX Lines. The station will feature three light rail platforms, a bus plaza, a pick-up/drop-off area coming by private vehicle, a bicycle hub, amenities for pedestrians and a Metro hub/terminal building that will provide the connection to the people mover.
Metro Board Chair John Fasana said, “Today’s action speaks volumes in terms of connecting our entire rail system with LAX – one of the busiest airports in the United States and a major employment center in Southern California. Getting this report certified means we can now design the station and then build it.”
The APM is being planned and will be built and operated by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), with Metro and LAWA working cooperatively on the two projects. The Crenshaw/LAX light rail project is being built by Walsh/Shea Corridor Constructors, which has committed to completing the project to allow rail service to begin in the fall of 2019.
“This is a shovel ready project, funded by Measure M that can now proceed toward the construction stage,” said Phillip A. Washington, Metro CEO. “In fact, as part of their commitment, the contractors working on the Crenshaw/LAX line are well on their way to delivering accommodations for the future Airport Metro Connector 96th Street Transit Station.”