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The people mover is finally coming to LAX. Yay!

Potential ballot measure: what you need to know about the Airport Metro Connector

One in a series of posts that will look at projects and programs that would receive funding from the potential sales tax ballot measure that Metro is considering. 

What is it? A new station at Aviation Boulevard and 96th Street to be served by both the future Crenshaw/LAX Line and an extension of the existing Metro Green Line. This new station will also provide transit passengers with a direct connection to the LAX airport people mover which will take passengers to the airport terminals. The Airport Metro Connector won’t be a traditional at-grade train station. Rather, the multimodal transportation hub is envisioned to include a number of amenities, including larger rail platforms to accommodate passengers with luggage, a bus plaza, pick-up and drop-off area for private vehicles, real time transit information, retail, wi-fi service, public art, a bike hub and a pedestrian plaza.

When can I use the station? Metro has a target completion date of 2024. The Crenshaw/LAX Line has a 2019 target opening date.

What about the people mover? Los Angeles World Airports is planning on building and operating the people mover, which will include three stations near airport terminals, two stations at new ground transportation centers, including the Airport Metro Connector station, and a sixth station at a new planned consolidated rental car center near the 405 freeway. Environmental studies are underway for the people mover and airport officials have said they would like to begin construction in late 2017. The people mover and Airport Metro Connector are viewed as key projects if Los Angeles wins the right to host the 2024 Summer Olympics.

How does the potential ballot measure figure into this project? The Airport Metro Connector already has some funding and the potential ballot measure would add $337 million, allowing for a more robust facility to be built. Also, the funding would allow the project to be accelerated from its original 2028 completion date under Metro’s existing long-range plan.

Will this project make it easier to get to the airport? Yes. The Airport Metro Connection Station will be directly reachable from trains on the Crenshaw/LAX Line and the Green Line. The Crenshaw/LAX Line can also be reached via transfer from the Expo Line and the Green Line via transfer from the Blue Line and Silver Line. Looking into the future, the potential ballot measure also includes funding for a northern extension of the Crenshaw/LAX Line to the Purple Line subway and beyond to West Hollywood and Hollywood.

Metro’s potential ballot measure calls for a half-cent sales tax increase for 40 years and an 18-year extension of the existing Measure R sales tax, with both running through 2057. Metro staff have also proposed 45- and 50-year alternative plans to include more projects and funding for programs. Here’s a previous post about (and including) the draft spending plan for the ballot measure. Community meetings are underway: here’s the list. Please visit theplan.metro.net for more info and please use the hashtag #metroplan when discussing on social media. 

The Metro Board of Directors are scheduled to consider the spending plan and whether to put the ballot measure before voters at their June 23 meeting. 

Source: http://thesource.metro.net/2016/04/08/potential-ballot-measure-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-airport-metro-connector/