By Keldine Hull
After years of speculation, FlyAway nonstop bus service between Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Westwood will make its final trip on June 30 at 8 p.m. Westwood FlyAway has been transporting students to and from LAX for nearly 15 years.
Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) released a statement regarding their decision to end the service. “The decision to end the Westwood FlyAway route was made after a thorough review of the route’s ridership since inception, and focus group panels of Westwood residents and UCLA students to determine if there were opportunities to improve ridership.”
Efforts to reverse declining ridership, including changing trip frequency, promoting the route on social media, and relocating the stop location closer to student housing, were all unsuccessful.
According to LAWA, while funding from the Westwood FlyAway will be redirected to other FlyAway routes in Hollywood, Long Beach, Union Station and Van Nuys, officials will continue to partner with UCLA Transportation. Although ridership to and from Westwood declined over time, both Hollywood and Long Beach routes have experienced a rise in ridership, with volumes increasing by 7 percent for Hollywood and 23 percent for Long Beach.
To learn more, visit: www.laxflyaway.org
