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Metro Board Approves $900 Million Budget For LAX Connector

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This article supported by Los Angeles Bicycle Attorney as part of a general sponsorship package. All opinions in the article are that of the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of LABA. Click on the ad for more information.
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Though a few board members expressed some sticker shock at the $898,581,000 price tag, they nonetheless voted unanimously today to move forward with the Airport Metro Connector (AMC) project.

The AMC will be a landmark Crenshaw/LAX light rail station that will serve as a hub for the LAX people-mover, buses, car rentals, and walking and bicycling.

In the Metro Measure M sales tax expenditure plan, the LAX connector was estimated to cost $581 million (in 2015 dollars), so today's approved budget is roughly $300 million (50 percent) higher than had been expected. Metro staff cited real estate acquisition costs and escalating construction costs as having contributed to the added budget. As the project is already 100 percent designed, staff expressed confidence that the budget would not escalate further. Metro will complement Measure M funds with:

    • County funding: Proposition A, Proposition C, and Measure M
    • State funding: Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) and Solutions for Congested Corridors Program
    • Federal funding: Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBGP), Congestion Mitigation & Air Quality Program (CMAQ), and Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA)

See Metro staff report and funding plan attachment for more AMC details.

Map showing Airport Metro Connector location. Images via Metro
Map showing Airport Metro Connector location. Images via Metro presentation
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Overview of AMC - via Metro Presentation
Overview of AMC - via Metro Presentation
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Rendering of AMC Crenshaw Line platforms - via Metro presentation
Rendering of AMC Crenshaw Line platforms - via Metro presentation
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Rendering of AMC mezzanine level - via Metro presentation
Rendering of AMC mezzanine level - via Metro presentation
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Rendering of three-story AMC bike hub - via Metro presentation
Rendering of three-story AMC bike hub - via Metro presentation
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Bids have already been received for Airport Metro Connector construction, which is expected to begin this fall and be completed in 2025.

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