Projects to Ease Traffic Jams at LAX Are Causing Traffic Jams at LAX
Jeff Edwards February 11, 2016
Officials at LAX are working to mitigate traffic headaches stemming from the construction work on a $4 billion project to ease traffic congestion at the notoriously hard-to-get-to airport.
After decades of proposals, talks and studies, work has started to ease traffic congestion at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Unfortunately, it looks like things might be getting worse for motorists before the traffic gets better. The $4 billion Landside Access Modernization Project (the lion’s share of the more than $8 billion in improvements scheduled at the airport) that will eventually make getting to LAX a little easier is causing some gridlock of its own.
There is little doubt that easing traffic at the busy international hub is a worthy endeavor. Then Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) Executive Director Gina Marie Lindsey admitted gridlock at the airport was starting to give the facility a bad reputation in a statement announcing final plans for the modernization project back in 2014. “For too long LAX has been known to travelers and guests as nine unrelated terminals connected by a traffic jam,” Lindsey lamented.
As workers take the first steps of the multi-billion dollar project to change that reputation, airport officials are working hard to make sure those construction projects expected to take place over the next several years don’t make that reputation any worse in the meantime. Making up-to-the-minute reports on construction activities available is just a start. LAX managers are also widely publicizing a few “insider tips” to help travelers avoid construction delays. In one case, a suggestion includes dropping passengers off at the arrivals level rather than the departures level to avoid the construction altogether. Drivers are also encouraged to consider dropping passengers off at nearby parking lots served by shuttle buses, thereby sidestepping the congested terminal areas. Less helpful tips include avoiding LAX during peak travel times and following police instructions.
Perhaps the most valuable resource released by LAX is a cheat sheet listing “secret” shortcuts to the airport. Off-the-beaten-path routes to sneak to the terminals, each with its own catchy codename, include “The Sneak,” “The Sidedoor,” “The Snap,” “The Slip,” “The Shuffle,” and “The Split.”
[Photo via Los Angeles International Airport]
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Getting into LGA anywhere near On-time has always been a Gamble
"a suggestion includes dropping passengers off at the arrivals level rather than the departures level to avoid the construction altogether." And that's what the shuttle buses from the parking lots are often doing too: Dropping off all passengers at the arrivals level rather than the departures level. I experienced that on my trips out of LAX the last couple months.