New Flyaway Airport Shuttle Service to Directly Benefit Thousands of Public Transit Riders at Union Station

• Ubiquitous Union Station Metro Bus and Rail Connections to provide built-in riders for new airport shuttle service. Free rides for public transit users March 15-31.

• More information at www.lawa.org/flyaway/: FlyAway buses will drop-off passengers at LAX on the Upper/Departures Level in front of each terminal. Passengers departing LAX will be picked up on the Lower/Arrivals Level in front of each terminal under green signs marked "FlyAway, Buses and Long-Distance Vans."

The new partnership between Metro and Los Angeles World Airports to provide direct, nonstop FlyAway Airport Shuttle Service from Patsaouras Transit Plaza should be welcome news for the many thousands of Metro Rail and Metro Bus and other transit riders who travel via Union Station in downtown Los Angeles.

To encourage the use of public transit, from March 15 through March 31, riders presenting tickets or passes from public transit operators, including taxi receipts, can receive a free FlyAway roundtrip ticket.

A three-year agreement with Metro will enable Los Angeles World Airports to operate FlyAway bus service out of Berth 9 on the transit plaza, providing riders from the Metro Red Line, Metro Gold Line and scores of Metro Bus Lines with ready access to FlyAway buses with their luggage in tow. The agreement also provides long-term parking for 500 vehicles on the fourth level of the Gateway Center Garage, as well as use of an existing kiosk situated next to the FlyAway bus stop for FlyAway bus ticket sales and information.

Flyaway buses will travel from Union Station to LAX in 45 minutes or less and utilize high-occupancy vehicle lanes on the 110 and 105 Freeways, providing a significant time savings over driving alone to the airport in rush-hour traffic.

“The introduction of FlyAway Airport Shuttle Service at Union Station, L.A.’s major transportation hub, provides an invaluable new service option for Metro’s transit customers,” said Roger Snoble, Metro CEO. “The multitude of bus and rail connections at Union Station make the convenience of FlyAway service available to tens of thousands of daily transit riders.”

More than 50,000 trips are made through Union Station on a daily basis, which includes those trips made via Metro Bus and Rail, Metrolink, Amtrak and various municipal bus operators.

Major transit services feed into Union Station from throughout Los Angeles County and beyond. The Metro Red Line, for example, will enable air travelers from the east-west portion of the San Fernando Valley to catch the downtown shuttles by utilizing Metro Orange Line connections in North Hollywood. Other areas served by the Metro Red Line include Universal City, Hollywood, Wilshire Center, Westlake and Los Angeles. San Gabriel Valley air travelers can board the Metro Gold Line in Pasadena, South Pasadena, Highland Park and Lincoln Heights to also connect with the airport shuttles.

Metro customers and others seeking to connect directly to Patsaouras Transit Plaza by bus may utilize any one of these bus lines:

Metro Bus Line 33, 333, 40, 740, 42, 439, 444, 445, 446, 745, Commuter Express: Metrolink Shuttle, 430, 534, Dash “D”, Foothill Transit 699, Santa Monica Municipal 10, Santa Clarita 794, Antelope Valley 785, Orange County Transit 701.

Nearby connecting bus lines include: Metro Bus Line 70, 71, 78, 370, 79, 378, 68, 368, 304, 484, 485, 487, 490, 489, Foothill Transit lines 480, 481,482, 486, 488, 492, 498, 499, 493, 497, Dash route Lincoln Heights Chinatown, Dash “B”.

Metrolink trains spanning the five-county region of Southern California also feed into Union Station, as well as Amtrak trains, which arrive at Union Station from eight interstate routes serving the South, West, Midwest and Northwest regions of the United States.

Metro’s partnership with Los Angeles World Airports underscores Metro’s ongoing commitment to helping improve transit times countywide. The agency recently introduced Metro Express Service on the Metro Gold Line, which saves commuters five minutes of time during the morning and afternoon rush-hour periods. Last year, the agency introduced Metro Express Bus Lines 450X and 577X, which also utilize high-occupancy vehicle lanes on San Gabriel Valley and Long Beach area freeways. These new services, combined with the expanding network of new Metro Rapid Lines and the Metro Orange Line, are now helping reduce congestion and cutting transit travel times between 15 and 50 percent.

For more information, see FlyAway brochure at www.metro.net. Timetables for all Metro Bus and Rail Lines are available online at www.metro.net. Metro information is also available by phone at 1-800-COMMUTE.

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