LAX Automated People Mover

LAX Automated People Mover
Name	LAX Automated People Mover
Location	Los Angeles, California, United States
Transit type	Automated guideway transit
Owner	Los Angeles World Airports
Operator	Metro, LAWA contractors
Began operation	2023
System length	2.25 miles
Vehicles	44
Top speed	50 mph

Contents

LAX Automated People Mover is an automated people mover serving Los Angeles International Airport, integrating terminal access, rental car facilities, and regional transit connections. The project links major transportation nodes and urban destinations, aiming to reduce roadway congestion and improve connections to Los Angeles International Airport, Los Angeles World Airports, and regional systems like Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Metrolink.

Overview

The project provides a driverless transit link between terminals and regional hubs such as Aviation/Century Station, Crenshaw/LAX Line, Metro Rail stations, Union Station (Los Angeles), and the Los Angeles International Airport Northside. It was developed to relieve traffic on World Way (Los Angeles), coordinate with the Tom Bradley International Terminal, and connect with shuttle services to Los Angeles International Airport Central Terminal Area. The system interacts with municipal and regional agencies including City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California High-Speed Rail Authority, and stakeholders like Los Angeles World Airports and private operators including Los Angeles World Airports Board of Airport Commissioners.

Initial studies involved firms and agencies such as Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, LA World Airports, AECOM, Kiewit, AECOM Hunt, and consultants versed with projects like Denver International Airport Automated Guideway Transit and Miami Metrorail. Environmental review processes referenced statutes enforced by California Environmental Quality Act and coordination with Federal Aviation Administration for airspace and Port of Los Angeles stakeholders. Public outreach included meetings with representatives from City Council (Los Angeles), neighborhood councils in Westchester, Los Angeles, business groups like Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, and labor organizations such as Laborers' International Union of North America.

The design uses automated, rubber-tired vehicles on elevated guideways similar to systems at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Denver International Airport, and Heathrow Airport. Signalling integrates communications-based train control used by projects like Docklands Light Railway and procurement followed procurement practices seen in Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority projects. Architecture for stations referenced firms with portfolios including Foster + Partners, HOK, and Gensler, while mechanical systems parallel suppliers such as Siemens Mobility, Bombardier Transportation, and Alstom. Accessibility features comply with Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 standards and coordinate with security operations from Transportation Security Administration and Los Angeles Police Department.

Stations are sited at major interchange points, including a consolidated rental car facility near Century Boulevard, a West CTA station adjacent to Tom Bradley International Terminal, and a connection to surface transit near Aviation Boulevard. Multimodal integration connects to agencies and lines including Metro C Line (Green)],], Metro K Line, Metro E Line, Amtrak Pacific Surfliner, Metrolink Antelope Valley Line, and regional bus operators like Orange County Transportation Authority and Long Beach Transit. Pedestrian and bicycle linkages coordinate with Los Angeles Department of Transportation initiatives and local planning by Los Angeles Department of City Planning.

Service patterns provide high-frequency, automated runs synchronized with flight schedules at Tom Bradley International Terminal and concourses serving carriers such as American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and international carriers like British Airways and Air France. Operations are monitored by control centers using technology from firms with experience at San Francisco International Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport. Fare integration and regional ticketing were discussed with Metrolink, Metro, and regional transit operators to support transfers to destinations like Downtown Los Angeles, El Segundo, Inglewood, and Santa Monica.

Construction involved contractors with histories on major infrastructure projects including Kiewit Corporation, Tutor Perini, and subcontractors experienced on projects such as Expo Line (Los Angeles Metro), Crenshaw/LAX Transit Corridor, and Regional Connector Transit Project. Coordination required traffic management across World Way (Los Angeles), permitting with Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, and nightly operations to minimize disruption to airlines and passengers from Tom Bradley International Terminal and other carriers. Funding packages combined sources like Los Angeles World Airports revenue, municipal bonds issued by City of Los Angeles, federal grants from Federal Transit Administration, and state funds linked to California State Transportation Agency.

The people mover aims to reduce curbside congestion at Los Angeles International Airport Central Terminal Area and support economic development in Westchester, Inglewood, and adjacent communities, influencing projects like the SoFi Stadium area development and LAX/Metro Transit Center proposals. Future expansions under discussion reference connections to High-Speed Rail (California), extended service to El Segundo, and integration with long-range plans from Southern California Association of Governments and Metropolitan Transportation Commission (California). Policy discussions involve environmental sustainability goals championed by California Air Resources Board and regional equity initiatives from Mayor of Los Angeles offices.