LAX to expand FlyAway bus service to Santa Monica and Hollywood

What would you pay not to drive to Los Angeles International Airport? New FlyAway airport bus stops in Santa Monica and Hollywood will charge $8 each way and begin as soon as summer, the airport announced this week.

The L.A. Board of Airport Commissioners voted Monday to expand FlyAway buses that serve Union Station in downtown Los Angeles, Van Nuys, Westwood and the La Brea stop on the Expo Line. The idea is to give fliers the option of using public transit and relieve congestion at the airport.

Santa Monica service will pick up passengers on Main Street north of Pico Boulevard at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. It is scheduled to begin July 15.

In Hollywood, passengers will be picked up on the east side of Vine Street a half a block from Hollywood Boulevard. The new service is expected to start in mid-September. This bus also will stop at the La Brea Station of the Expo Line.

FlyAway buses served almost 1.5 million passengers last year, according to the airport.

New FlyAway options come as L.A. grapples with bringing a rail option to LAX. An MTA report this month proposes a $1.7-billion project to bring a train and new light-rail station to the airport. The current Green Line rail option takes passengers 1-1/2 miles short of the airport and requires fliers to hop a shuttle bus to complete the trip.

Will public transit to the airport make a difference? Laura J. Nelson writes in this L.A. TImes story about the MTA report: “Despite growing pressure from the public and elected officials to close the LAX rail gap, just 1-2% of airport trips are projected to be made on Metro rail and buses by 2035, according to the Metro analysis.

“About 57% of trips will be made in cars, 33% in taxis, limos and shuttles and 8% by FlyAway bus.”

Info: FlyAway bus, (866) 435-9529