LACMTA chooses station location as best option to connect LAX people mover

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (LACMTA) board yesterday approved a new light-rail station at Aviation Boulevard and 96th Street along the Crenshaw/LAX Line as the best option for the gateway to an automated people mover at Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA).

Prior to launching construction on the station, LACMTA must obtain environmental clearance, design the facility and identify funding, according to the agency's blog, "The Source." Now under construction, the Crenshaw/LAX Line is slated for completion in 2019; the people mover could be completed as soon as 2022, the blog stated.

"This is a historic day for LAX and a historic day for our city because we’re finally on the way to bringing rail to LAX," Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti told the board. "I think we’ll be able to fix a historic mistake of our past."

The Green Line infamously came up two miles short of LAX and requires a shuttle bus to enable passengers to reach airport terminals, the blog reported. The new Aviation/96th station would also serve some Green Line trains.

LAWA is scheduled to finalize details on the people mover alignment and the number of stations near airport terminals in December.