Easy, Efficient Connections to Terminals
Getting around Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) after 2023 will be much different (and much more efficient) than it is today. The Automated People Mover (APM), a major component of the multi-billion dollar modernization program, will play a key role in connecting passengers to terminals. It also aims to deliver a long-term and transformative solution to ease traffic congestion in and around the airport.
Futurist game-changer
The APM may only be 2.25-miles long with six stations along the route, but it’s designed to revolutionize the travel experience for passengers at LAX. With the ability to transport as many as 200 people at a time, airport officials estimate that at the maximum ridership capacity, the APM could move 10,000 passengers per hour and up to 85 million passengers per year. Every ride is free.
Simultaneously running Multiple electric-powered trains running will provide a reliable frequency of arrivals every two minutes. Enhanced passenger walkways and bridges that are also part of the project will provide seamless integration from the APM stations, platforms, the mezzanine level, and terminals. Passengers can also access the Consolidated Rent-A-Car-Center (CONRAC), ground transportation options at two Intermodal Transportation Facilities, and connect to the Metro’s light rail line.
Going ‘green’
In addition to creating a more efficient traveler experience, the APM will reduce traffic and pollution. Emissions will be lowered with a reduction in congestion around the airport. With a focus on sustainability, all 44 APM cars are electric, and the state-of-the-art aluminum shells are constructed with 98% recyclable materials.
The APM will also leverage other cutting-edge practices to reduce the airport area’s carbon footprint. The command center is powered entirely by solar energy and designed to be LEED® Gold Certified, and the electric-powered cars generate a portion of their own power through regenerative braking. The design team states these enhancements offset the carbon equivalent of 12 million vehicle miles driven.
Impacting the economy
This project has created 2,000 construction jobs, 30% of those were reserved for residents of Los Angeles along with impacted communities near LAX. Forty-five percent of the construction workers involved in the project are women.
Sharon Gookin, project director at LINXS Constructors and mastermind behind the APM, says what makes the project even more exciting are the women behind it. “This particular job itself has more women than I\’ve seen on any other job, and it’s really amazing to be a part of that,” she said.
“This creates a significant number of jobs, both from construction jobs, but then also from ongoing maintenance and operational jobs after these facilities are all completed,” said Justin Erbacci, chief executive officer of Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA).
The APM team is partnering with LAWA to develop opportunities for local small businesses, create good-paying career jobs, and foster economic growth. A combined $585 million has been identified for local, small or disabled veteran-owned businesses, with $85 million committed exclusively to local, small businesses in Los Angeles.
To see photos and VR images of the APM, check out the gallery on LAist.
This blog is part of an ongoing series about the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) Landside Access Modernization Program (LAMP).
Stay up-to-date on LAMP and other important infrastructure issues by signing up for the Rebuild SoCal Partnership newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and listen to The Rebuild SoCal Zone podcast.
