By Albert Kuan
LAX Debuts New Remote “Economy” Parking Facility for Travelers
A new budget parking facility, LAX Economy Parking, opened at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) this Tuesday, October 19. The new facility operated by Los Angeles World Airports, the airport authority for LAX, brings 4,300 new parking spots to the growing airport and will have its own dedicated shuttle bus to transport travelers to and from the airport’s central terminal area.
According to LAWA, the drive-up rate for the lot is $25 per day, however, pre-booking discounts will give drivers up to 70% off that rate. The amount of the discount will depend on the availability of spots and the amount of time booked in advance.
LAX Economy Parking, also known as LAX’s Intermodal Transportation Facility – West, is the first major aspect of LAX’s Landside Access Modernization Program (LAMP) to debut. The $5.5 billion Landside Access Modernization Program aims to relieve congestion for people traveling to and from LAX and its mobility projects include an automated people mover (APM), consolidated rental car center (ConRAC) and a connection to Metro’s K Line (Crenshaw/LAX Line). Overall, these new developments are expected to save time and enhance the traveler experience.
“LAX Economy Parking is a historic marker of progress in the midst of a once-in-a-generation transformation at the airport,” Mayor Eric Garcetti said at the LAX Economy Parking’s ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“(It brings) travelers a state-of-art facility that will help reduce congestion, enable our airport to realize its full potential and create a more seamless travel experience for millions of Angelenos and visitors.”
The $294-million facility is made up of four stories and is located half a mile away from the LAX’s Central Terminal Area. The parking structure includes smart parking features, such as automatic entry and exit, electric vehicle charging stations and a shuttle to the central terminal area. The parking facility also has green features such as energy saving lighting controls, low-flow plumbing fixtures, drought tolerant landscaping and recycled waterand dedicated parking spots for low emitting vehicles and car pools.
Until the completion of LAX’s APM, expected to be complete in 2024, dedicated shuttle buses for LAX Economy Parking will take travelers to and from the Central Terminal Area’s Arrivals Level. The future APM will originate at the airport’s future ConRAC and stop at the parking facility before arriving at the Central Terminal Area.
LAX Economy Parking will be the first parking lot at LAX to offer parking on a reservation basis. Previously, parking at LAX was only available on a first-come, first-served basis, with no reservation system available.
Albert recently completed his undergraduate studies in Business Accounting at USC in Los Angeles and he is currently recruiting for a corporate analyst position at one of the U.S. legacy carriers. During his college years, he interned at LAX for Los Angeles World Airports working behind-the-scenes (and on the ramp) in public relations and accounting. Outside of writing for AirlineGeeks, he enjoys trekking the Hollywood hills, visiting new hotspots throughout SoCal, and doing the occasional weekender on Spirit Airlines.
