### LAX/Metro Transit Center Opens, Promising Easier Airport Access Ahead of Major Sporting Events

Los Angeles has taken a significant step toward improving airport connectivity with the official opening of the LAX/Metro Transit Center on Friday afternoon. Situated at Aviation Boulevard and 96th Street, the new station links the K Line and C Line, and is set to connect to Los Angeles International Airport's forthcoming automated people mover train next year. Until then, travelers can use free shuttle buses that run every 10 minutes along the 2.5-mile stretch between the station and LAX.

With a budget of $900 million, the transit center features a 16-bay bus plaza equipped with electric bus infrastructure and a bicycle hub. Additionally, Metro parking lots near the station will offer short-term parking facilities for commuters. Once operational, the people mover will require passengers to take two escalators past a mural highlighting the 2026 FIFA World Cup to board the train.

The construction of this train is currently in progress, and the continuous sounds of jackhammers underscored the ongoing work as members of the Metro board and various city and county leaders assembled for the 1 p.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony. “This immensely important improvement required investment and coordination across multiple levels of government," said a celebratory Mayor Bass. "We are delivering the results that the people of Los Angeles have demanded and world travelers have waited for."

Key attendees included County Supervisor and Metro Board Chair Janice Hahn, former mayors Antonio Villaraigosa and Eric Garcetti, former City Council member and county supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, and Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins. "We really are developing a world-class transit system,” Wiggins remarked. “We know that international visitors have an expectation for public transportation - being able to take that from the airport."

Opening to the public at 5 p.m., Metro is commemorating the event by offering free rides across its system throughout the weekend. During an April Metro Board of Directors meeting, Hahn expressed her enthusiasm: "When the people mover finally opens, then we will have an international airport that will connect people from literally inside the terminals to the world and beyond through Metro."

Travelers from downtown will be able to reach the transit center via the A Line to the C Line, or the E Line to the K Line. Individuals coming from regions like Redondo Beach, Norwalk, Leimert Park, and Inglewood can use a single line, whereas those from Pasadena and Long Beach will require two lines. Hollywood and Universal Studios travelers will need to take three trains.

Los Angeles has lagged behind other major cities in offering a direct rail connection to its primary airport, leaving many first-time and international visitors puzzled. The absence of such infrastructure has been attributed to concerns over lost parking revenue, Federal Aviation Administration pushback, and conflicts over the allocation of taxpayer funds. However, the plans for the airport's people mover and the Metro station were revived and approved over a decade ago.

Ethan Elkind, author of "Railtown: The Fight for the Los Angeles Metro Rail and the Future of the City," praised the new developments, stating, “It was such a black eye on the system and on the rail leaders that they couldn’t connect Metro rail to LAX.” He emphasized that the new station and upcoming train "fill in this big missing gap in the system."

While it remains uncertain how many residents will rely solely on the train to reach the airport due to the need to change lines, the service is expected to benefit the tens of thousands of airport employees significantly. The planned $30-billion airport overhaul, which prioritizes the people mover project, aims to alleviate traffic congestion at 1 World Way ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics.