LAX, Mayor Garcetti Announce Opening Of $294 Million Economy Parking Structure
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) - Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Lox Angeles International Airport officially unveiled the airport's new economy parking structure on Friday - LAX Economy Parking.
Part of the Landside Access Modernization Program (LAMP), a $5.5 billion program aimed to relieve congestion for people traveling via LAX, the LAX Economy Parking is equipped with electrical vehicle chargers, parking space availability monitors, an online pre-booking system, overhead indicators of open or occupied parking stalls and more. Other components of LAMP include more transportation options to LAX, relief of traffic congestion in and out of the airport, easier access to renting cars and more convenient spots for passenger pickup and drop-off.
The state-of-the-art structure stands four stories tall, and includes approximately 4,300 new parking stalls - nearly 500 of which are EV charging - spanning over 1.7 million square feet. It is the first major part of LAMP that has been completed and opened to the public. It is also the first completely modernized structure at LAX, foremost in the plan to modernize every parking structure at the airport. The plan is for over 1,600 of the stalls to come equipped with EV charging stations as time moves on.
As part of Los Angeles World Airport's (LAWA) plan for sustainability, referred to as "Boldly Moving to Zero," LAX Economy Parking is a completely sustainable facility. Additional sustainability efforts include low-flow plumbing fixtures, energy saving lighting controls and drought tolerant landscaping.
"As the third largest airport in the world, LAX is our gateway to the world — where dreams take flight and we welcome the future of our city with open arms," said Garcetti. "LAX Economy Parking is a historic marker of progress in the midst of a once-in-a-generation transformation at the airport — bringing travelers a state-of-art facility that will help reduce congestion, enable our airport to realize its full potential, and continue to create a more seamless travel experience for millions of Angelenos and visitors."
Along with Mayor Garcetti, many familiar personalities attended the unveiling, including LA City Council-members Mike Bonin (District 11) and Joe Buscaino (District 15). Bonin was pleased with the progress, noting that this is just the beginning in what's to come at LAX:
"Today we begin a series of grand openings that will transform LAX into the modern, sustainable, public transit hub our city deserves. This milestone is possible because we brought airport neighbors and airport officials together to modernize LAX, reduce its impacts on local communities, and make it a first-class neighbor, opening the door for big improvements to transportation, job creation and environmental benefits. I am thrilled to see this promise being delivered upon for my constituents, Angelenos and future visitors to our vibrant city."
Buscaino furthered that, offering that one of the many benefits include reduced cost in the overall traveling experience: "With the new lot, along with the connection to the Metro rail system, the Automated People Mover and the revamped FlyAway program, residents of all income levels will have options for getting to and from the airport, and will no longer have to choose between convenience and affordability."
The Automated People Mover, or APM, will connect passengers to the train system on the second floor of the Economy Parking building. There will also be a shuttle bus, with a designated lane that moves away from the regular traffic and delivers passengers to the LAX Central Terminal.
The facility broke ground on July 11, 2019, and in that time, more than 3,700 total craft workers assisted in the construction, earning more than $54 million in wages over 848,501 hours.
Additional amenities include pet relief areas, vending machines and a view of planes flying directly overhead from the open-air rooftop.
(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)