A proposed plan to bring light rail passengers directly into Los Angeles International Airport has been taken off the table after a Metro vote Thursday.
Despite the Jan. 23 vote, there is still a possibility a light rail station could come to LAX in the future. However, the Metro board voted for now to have the planned Crenshaw Line, which just broke ground for construction two days earlier, veer into LAX to drop passengers directly at the terminals.
Metro reportedly estimated the coast of veering the Crenshaw Line west of its current path and into LAX would cost about $3 billion, almost $1 billion more than the planned railway’s current budget.
The Metro is now contemplating alternate plans to bring Crenshaw Line riders as close as 1.5 miles east of LAX and using a free shuttle bus or circular to access terminals.
In Northern California, both San Francisco and Oakland airports have direct train connections inside the airport.
Currently, LAX passengers who use light rail use the Green Line to arrive at a station within two miles of the airport. From there, the passengers board an LAX circular to gain access to their respective terminals.
The Crenshaw Line is a north-south light rail corridor connecting the Expo Line in near Mid-City Los Angeles and the Green Line near LAX.
Serving El Segundo, Inglewood, and Los Angeles, the Crenshaw Line is 8.5 miles in length. It includes eight stops and is expected to open in 2019. According to Metro, the life-of-project budget is $2.058 billion.
There are 12 transit projects in the area, according to Metro, each funded by Measure R. The half-cent tax initiative was approved by Los Angeles County voters in 2008.
