Metro Opens Landmark $900 Million LAX/Metro Transit Center Station Connecting C and K Lines and Direct Airport Shuttles

Transforming Southern California Transit with a Unified Airport Gateway

LOS ANGELES, California — In a watershed achievement for public transportation, regional mobility, and airport connectivity across Southern California, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) has officially opened the landmark $900 million LAX/Metro Transit Center station. Situated at the strategic intersection of Aviation Boulevard and 96th Street, the multi-level passenger nexus establishes direct rail service to the nation's second-busiest aviation gateway, uniting the regional light rail grid with dedicated airport transit after decades of community anticipation.

The opening marks the seamless integration of both the Metro C Line (running between Norwalk and Redondo Beach) and the newly extended K Line (Crenshaw/LAX corridor), closing the critical transit gap across the South Bay and Westside. Passengers can now travel directly by rail from historic neighborhoods such as Leimert Park, Inglewood, and El Segundo straight to the LAX airport precinct, eliminating severe highway congestion along the San Diego Freeway (I-405) and Century Boulevard.

Direct Zero-Emission Terminal Shuttles and Future Automated People Mover Link

To provide immediate passenger convenience ahead of the final commissioning of Los Angeles World Airports' (LAWA) elevated SkyLink Automated People Mover (APM), LA Metro has launched dedicated, 24/7 express airport shuttle buses operating directly from the station's ground-level bus plaza. Operating every few minutes in dedicated bus lanes, these zero-emission electric shuttles transport travelers directly to all central airline passenger terminals in under 10 minutes free of charge.

Once the Alstom Innovia 300 driverless APM trains begin full passenger operations along the 2.25-mile elevated guideway, arriving rail passengers will simply ascend high-speed escalators and elevators to an enclosed pedestrian walkway, boarding automated trains that depart every two minutes toward airline check-in desks and baggage claims. The facility also features an expansive 16-bay regional bus plaza servicing municipal transit agencies including Big Blue Bus, Culver CityBus, Torrance Transit, and Beach Cities Transit.

World-Class Architecture, Universal Accessibility, and Active Mobility

Designed by internationally celebrated architectural firm Grimshaw Architects, the LAX/Metro Transit Center exemplifies human-centered infrastructure design. The multi-modal complex features soaring, aerodynamic steel canopy roofs engineered to maximize natural cross-ventilation and diffused daylight, dramatically reducing building energy consumption. The airy passenger concourse incorporates translucent glass curtain walls, durable terrazzo flooring, intuitive dynamic digital flight and train departure displays, and curated public art installations celebrating Los Angeles culture.

Engineered to the highest standards of universal design, the station provides step-free, barrier-free access throughout, utilizing dual redundant high-capacity elevators, wide escalators, and tactile paving paths for visually impaired passengers. The complex also houses an enclosed Metro Bike Hub equipped with 68 secure access-controlled bicycle parking spaces, repair stations, and daily rental options, alongside a full-service customer service center providing TAP transit cards and multimodal travel assistance.

Foundational Infrastructure for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games

Civic leaders, transit planners, and Olympic organizers emphasized that the station represents an indispensable cornerstone of LA Metro’s Vision 2028 Strategic Plan and the region's infrastructure blueprint for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. By providing global visitors and daily commuters with high-frequency, reliable rail transit straight into the airport area, the facility will remove an estimated tens of thousands of private vehicular trips and rideshare drop-offs daily from congested airport roadways.

In alignment with Los Angeles County's ambitious climate transition and clean air targets, the electrified transit center substantially curbs carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions across the LAX air basin. Supported by extensive native drought-tolerant landscaping and solar photovoltaic rooftop panels, the LAX/Metro Transit Center stands as a resilient, state-of-the-art transportation lifeline built to serve Southern California for generations to come.