Both rideshares and taxis will no longer be able to pick-up curbside at LAX. Is that great or terrible news for travelers?
In this post:
LAX Bans Curbside Rideshare & Taxi Pick-Ups
As of 3AM on October 29, 2019:
- LAX will no longer allow curbside pick-ups for all rideshare and taxi drivers
- Instead travelers will be required to take a shuttle bus to a designated lot to catch their ride
- Rideshare and taxi drop-offs will continue to be allowed on the upper level of the airport
- The shuttle between the airport and lot will run frequently; those wishing to walk can do so, though it’s probably only practical from Southwest’s Terminal 1, given the location of the lot
As part of this, they’re also adjusting the flow of traffic at the airport for those vehicles that can use it:
- Hotel and private parking shuttles will exclusively use the upper level
- Airline connector, economy lot, employee shuttles, and FlyAway buses, will be relocated to the inner curb of the lower level
- Private pick-ups will be relocated to the outer curb of the arrival level
Essentially they’re totally reversing the flow of traffic on the lower level, as previously rideshares and private vehicles picked up on the inner curb, while shuttles picked up in the outer curb.
LAX Has Massive Congestion Issues
LAX has seen a huge growth in traffic over the past several times. For example, in 2010 the airport had just over 59 million passengers, while in 2018 the airport had over 87 million passengers. Not only do they continue to use the same roadways for pick-ups that they’ve been using for a long time, but:
- The airport is undergoing a massive construction project, and that is causing even more congestion
- Not that LAX has good public transportation, but with ridesharing only really being a thing in the past several years, we’re largely seeing people get to airports less efficiently (more people may have taken buses or shuttles in the past, while now many people get picked up on their own in a rideshare, given how reasonably priced it is)
All of this is ultimately a somewhat temporary measure, in the sense that LAX is being completely redesigned. Eventually we’ll see a people mover between the terminals and a new facility for car rentals and more. That being said, it’ll be years and years before construction is complete.
Is This Good Or Bad News?
Over 25,000 rideshare cars use the airport every day. That’s an average of over 1,000 per hour, or about 17 per minute. That’s a lot of cars.
Across the board I’m seeing people suggest this is a negative change. I don’t disagree, but I’d also note that across the board I hear people complaining about how awful the congestion is at LAX, and how it can take 30+ minutes for an Uber to arrive.
Obviously this is a situation where they can’t win. I guess this comes down to whether they were just going to continue with the status quo for several more years (and have people gripe), or try something new (and have people gripe).
Personally I’m not quite as pessimistic about this as some others. Do I dread having to get on a shuttle? Yes, absolutely. But I also dreaded waiting forever for an Uber.
No matter what it will be more of a hassle than the old system, but I do think it could potentially be a timesaver, if done correctly (though I’m skeptical as to how well they’ll execute on this).
I’m Surprised They Didn’t Try This Instead
I’m not sure this would have actually benefited anyone, but I’m surprised they didn’t instead add an extra fee for airport pick-ups, in hopes of it reducing airport congestion. Airports love finding new ways to increase revenue. I imagine the consumer benefit would have been limited, but I’m surprised they didn’t try.
Bottom Line
LAX will ban rideshare and taxi pick-ups as of October 29. As of then, all pick-ups will have to happen at a lot near the airport, to which they’ll provide free shuttle service. In the process they’ll also be reworking the airport roadway, keeping the inner lane for official shuttles, and the outer lane for personal pick-ups.
No one likes the idea of having to get on a shuttle to get a rideshare. At the same time, no one likes LAX’s current traffic issues. So while I’m not enthusiastic about this change, I’m not quite as pessimistic as some. I’ll reserve judgment until this is live, and am curious to what extent it actually reduces traffic.
How do you feel about this change — awesome, meh, or awful?
I am chiming in that this is a totally unrealistic situation for parents with multiple children. I used to be able to travel for 4 days with a backpack shared between my wife and myself. I now need to carry 1 huge piece of luggage (30-40 pounds), 2 car seats (~50 pounds total), carry on and diaper bag (another 20 pounds), and have a two-seat stroller (25 pounds plus super bulky).
Whenever I get...
I am chiming in that this is a totally unrealistic situation for parents with multiple children. I used to be able to travel for 4 days with a backpack shared between my wife and myself. I now need to carry 1 huge piece of luggage (30-40 pounds), 2 car seats (~50 pounds total), carry on and diaper bag (another 20 pounds), and have a two-seat stroller (25 pounds plus super bulky).
Whenever I get into a vehicle, I need to install two car seats. Legally and for safety. Is the shuttle driver going to help me? Doubt it. If the thing even has proper equipment to install them.
So they're now going to make me walk with over 120 pounds of gear for over half a mile from terminal 4? Thanks, folks. It's *definitely* going to speed up traffic having drivers honk at my family as I'm taking two trips per cross walk to move my gear.
This could theoretically work if they had a mechanism to drop your baggage at the rideshare area (e.g., our stuff gets there, we walk out to meet it with a stroller), but obviously they haven't exactly thought this through.
I spoke to Super Shuttle who offers ride sharing pickup at LAX and they say they have been told that they are not affected. Why do they get a pass?
This totally sucks for families with young children, who will now have to schlep all the gear into a shuttle, thus taking up space from other passengers, then sit in that shuttle in traffic, then get off the shuttle, then wait for their rideshare and do it all over again with the Uber/Lyft car. Parents don't WANT to carry all this crap, but we have to because of safety requirements. We HAVE TO carry a...
This totally sucks for families with young children, who will now have to schlep all the gear into a shuttle, thus taking up space from other passengers, then sit in that shuttle in traffic, then get off the shuttle, then wait for their rideshare and do it all over again with the Uber/Lyft car. Parents don't WANT to carry all this crap, but we have to because of safety requirements. We HAVE TO carry a car seat. We HAVE TO bring a stroller if the kid is too heavy to be placed into a Baby Bjorn or Ergo-type backpack carried. I think the presence of families with small children in the shuttles, and the huge amount of space they and their stuff takes up will make a ton of people complain. As others have said in earlier comments, I would agree with prohibiting private vehicles from doing pickups, but still allowing rideshare vehicles to do so.
I've always lived close to LAX and its a nightmare for me to get picked up at the airport. A ride to the airport is fine. However, I've always had a problem of getting from the airport as the taxis complain I am too close and Uber/Lyft take forever or cancel my ride. Before Uber/Lyft, literally 90% of the taxis would sigh and complain I was too close and they had been waiting for x...
I've always lived close to LAX and its a nightmare for me to get picked up at the airport. A ride to the airport is fine. However, I've always had a problem of getting from the airport as the taxis complain I am too close and Uber/Lyft take forever or cancel my ride. Before Uber/Lyft, literally 90% of the taxis would sigh and complain I was too close and they had been waiting for x amount of time. For me, this was largely the reason I moved to Uber/Lyft. However, now, because of the delays, Uber/Lyft sometimes drop me - I always report the service but still. I mean when it takes me longer to get from the airport with a ride than if I walked, its crazy.
As others have said, why are they only limiting pickups and not dropoffs; this seems like it will be additional congestion. Also, the way this was announced, the lack of public comment, seems like its another LA policy that is trying to be slid under the radar and forced on citizens.
LA has some of the worst policies in the country so honestly I take a hard look at anything that is supposed to be in the public good. I really believe we have one of the worst governments in the world. Objectively, only two cities in the world put in a bid for the Olympics (which economists have confirmed is not cash flow positive for cities) so we must have one of the two worst governments...
This wouldn't be bad for someone with no luggage. For anyone traveling with luggage (pretty much everyone) it sucks.
It seems like the departures should get some attention since people need to make flights. Arrivals aren't technically on as much of a timeframe.
I don't think this will do much for traffic. I've been flying through large airports for years before there were ride share and traffic has always been terrible. While I see bad ride share behavior all the time I never felt like the traffic volume increased perception wise. Tax imo won't work because people are always in a hurry to the airport or fearful they are running late or they will hand over their first...
I don't think this will do much for traffic. I've been flying through large airports for years before there were ride share and traffic has always been terrible. While I see bad ride share behavior all the time I never felt like the traffic volume increased perception wise. Tax imo won't work because people are always in a hurry to the airport or fearful they are running late or they will hand over their first born for convenience especially in the age of cell phones where we expect everything quick and instant.
I'm one of the road warriors based in Los Angeles and this is a pretty terrible change for me personally, but for Taxi drivers, this could be the end.
I will re-direct all returning flights that I can to Burbank and when I have to arrive at LAX, there is now a 0% chance that I take a taxi. I still took taxi's when flying out of T1/T7 as it was significantly faster than an...
I'm one of the road warriors based in Los Angeles and this is a pretty terrible change for me personally, but for Taxi drivers, this could be the end.
I will re-direct all returning flights that I can to Burbank and when I have to arrive at LAX, there is now a 0% chance that I take a taxi. I still took taxi's when flying out of T1/T7 as it was significantly faster than an uber and there's a flat rate into DTLA. Now, if I have to wait anyway, I'm going to take the uber at half the cost.
This is going to suck. LAX is my prime airport and I only live about 15 minutes away. This will probably double, if not more, the time it takes me to get home. I get back late at night from work trips, or coming back from international flights the last thing I want to do is get in a shuttle.
I just got back from LAX about 1 hour ago. That place is a hot mess. I think this is a good move for them. The Uber/Lyft drivers cause lots of unnecessary issues because they go slow and pay no attention to what they are causing behind them to find the person. Those of us that use the shuttles to help with this end up getting stuck because of these folks. ATL has moved them...
I just got back from LAX about 1 hour ago. That place is a hot mess. I think this is a good move for them. The Uber/Lyft drivers cause lots of unnecessary issues because they go slow and pay no attention to what they are causing behind them to find the person. Those of us that use the shuttles to help with this end up getting stuck because of these folks. ATL has moved them all to a specific area and it has made a big difference, but even personal vehicles contribute to this so not exclusively a Uber/Lyft problem but it will help.
Awesome news. I hope all those self entitled people from Manhattan Beach , Hermosa Beach , and Marina Del Rey are inconvenienced.
For anyone who is able to walk, this will save time. You can walk from any LAX terminal to this lot faster than a car or bus can get there. I say this as someone who routinely walks between T6 or T7 and the off-airport public bus center, right past the new rideshare lot. The sidewalk routes are well signed and protected by traffic lights. Once you're there, your car should be able to exit...
For anyone who is able to walk, this will save time. You can walk from any LAX terminal to this lot faster than a car or bus can get there. I say this as someone who routinely walks between T6 or T7 and the off-airport public bus center, right past the new rideshare lot. The sidewalk routes are well signed and protected by traffic lights. Once you're there, your car should be able to exit to Century or Sepulveda without having to go around the loop.
If you have mobility issues or for some reason bring more baggage than you can carry, waiting for the shuttle be slower, but really there's only so many vehicles they can pack into the traffic loops. We all have great hopes for the new elevated tram.
This has basically ruined the Park N Fly lot (used to be Park One) which is a walk into the airport lot right next to Terminal One. It's shuttles ceased operations and they cut the lot in half (the worst half) to make room for this Uber stage. Now, in addition to less parking at ParkNFly, (and a worthless VIP zone that they've discontinued for frequent parkers, we will have to fight the Uber traffic,...
This has basically ruined the Park N Fly lot (used to be Park One) which is a walk into the airport lot right next to Terminal One. It's shuttles ceased operations and they cut the lot in half (the worst half) to make room for this Uber stage. Now, in addition to less parking at ParkNFly, (and a worthless VIP zone that they've discontinued for frequent parkers, we will have to fight the Uber traffic, both driving in to park and walking to/from the lot. I will check it out at the end of the month and then possible rethink my whole LAX strategy.
Its just temporary! Right now, traffic is ridiculous. With the holidays coming up? Even worse. The lot is NOT very far, I realize its a burden with mobility issues / lots of luggage. They're working on making things better! LAX is my home airport and over the years I've seen lots of great improvements. But they take time. Sometimes a ridiculous amount of time. Eventually there will be a train / people mover and shuttles...
Its just temporary! Right now, traffic is ridiculous. With the holidays coming up? Even worse. The lot is NOT very far, I realize its a burden with mobility issues / lots of luggage. They're working on making things better! LAX is my home airport and over the years I've seen lots of great improvements. But they take time. Sometimes a ridiculous amount of time. Eventually there will be a train / people mover and shuttles will be a thing of the past. They are working on this now. I remember when SFO was putting in the BART connection and its seemed to take forever. But it was worth the wait. Short term pain for long term gain. Relax everyone.
LAX's Private Suite is sounding more appealing by the minute......
It routinely takes 45 minutes for a pickup at T4. I honestly had been parking at the lot they converted for this purpose for some time then hoofing it to T4 which is the farthest from the lot. It routinely takes 20 minutes on foot, far better than the 30-45 it takes by car. If the busses are frequent enough it will reduce wait times.
As a native Angeleno who travels world-wide, LAX is an embarrassment of epic proportions.
If you live in the San Fernando or Santa Clarita Valleys you might as well be in another continent as far as reasonable access to LAX. The closest Flyaway Bus terminal in Van Nuys has no public transportation connection to it and in Van Nuys is not close to the northern parts of L.A .
The Flyaway Bus, which uses...
As a native Angeleno who travels world-wide, LAX is an embarrassment of epic proportions.
If you live in the San Fernando or Santa Clarita Valleys you might as well be in another continent as far as reasonable access to LAX. The closest Flyaway Bus terminal in Van Nuys has no public transportation connection to it and in Van Nuys is not close to the northern parts of L.A .
The Flyaway Bus, which uses what we jokingly call "the car pool lanes", is taking longer and longer to get to LAX. Once it enters the LAX concourse off Sepulveda, it runs into a wall of traffic. Returning on the 405 freeway (which is really a parking lot with somewhat moving cars) the Van Nuys Flyaway can take two hours plus. And the Van Nuys Flyaway bus is always full by the time it leaves TBIT.
My best suggestion is to forget LAX if you possibly can. Burbank Airport (BUR) has quietly undergone a major traffic flow improvement project and upgraded everything around the terminal. Frequently flights out of Burbank are cheaper than LAX. Even if more expensive, not having to deal with LAX is invaluable.
Travelers from San Fernando and Santa Clarita can take Metrolink trains which now stop at the new Burbank North terminal station. You then call the shuttle from the curbside shuttle phone, and the shuttle arrives within minutes and drops you off in front of your terminal. What a deal.
I try really hard to avoid LAX but have had 2 recent trips there. ~30 min to get around that small a horseshoe is just plain ridiculous. Charge a toll and people will rethink how they drop off/pick up pax.
Totally agree with Lolo that this is a good idea. As someone who both parks at LAX and also uses Lyft I can testify that it’s a pain due to the increased congestion either way you roll.
Re. Rider’s comments it’s people like him that are clogging shuttle buses. I love the fact that some of the offsite parking services are onto that scam and are now requiring you to prove you parked in their lot or pay a fee to ride the shuttle to your Uber pickup.
Meh. I'll just take the first bus that comes along and call the Uber/Lyft from whatever Hotel or parking lot I wind up at, just as before Uber/Lyft were allowed at LAX.
This will be a nightmare for families and people with disabilities. It is already difficult to navigate your way especially at TBIT. The curb is just too narrow for the amount of pax and the outer curb is even narrower. Good luck trying to navigate your luggage trolley around those huge columns. Now imagine all those people trying to walk from TBIT and beyond towards T1.
Fundamentally I think one thing everyone has to get is that you cannot have thousands upon thousands of people in any small area and not have bottlenecks. You are not going to go from deplaning to a vehicle in 5 minutes. Could time be shaved off? Possibly.
And as for people whinging about flying out of anywhere else, well, I guess you don't mind the added connection time when there's not a non stop...
Fundamentally I think one thing everyone has to get is that you cannot have thousands upon thousands of people in any small area and not have bottlenecks. You are not going to go from deplaning to a vehicle in 5 minutes. Could time be shaved off? Possibly.
And as for people whinging about flying out of anywhere else, well, I guess you don't mind the added connection time when there's not a non stop available from your preferred secondary airport? Again there's no way people are going to get what they are describing here, even in the most fantastical.
This is how LAX should have done ridesharing pickups all along. When LAX allowed ridesharing pickups, the traffic got exponentially worse. When the terminal switch happened, moving Delta, one of the biggest carriers at LAX, to the opposite side of the airport, the traffic into the airport became unbearable most of the time. Add an addition of ~30M+ passengers in the past 10 years and you have the recipe for a nightmare!
I live close...
This is how LAX should have done ridesharing pickups all along. When LAX allowed ridesharing pickups, the traffic got exponentially worse. When the terminal switch happened, moving Delta, one of the biggest carriers at LAX, to the opposite side of the airport, the traffic into the airport became unbearable most of the time. Add an addition of ~30M+ passengers in the past 10 years and you have the recipe for a nightmare!
I live close to LAX, like really close - my backyard has a view of runway 24R+L. What used to take me 5-7 minutes to get into the airport now takes me 30+ minutes depending on the day and time. Sunday nights are the absolute worst, with traffic backing up for miles. The secret used to be to use the taxi entrance into the airport off Sepulveda, but LAX now has signs pointing to it as an option. Something has to be done, and I think this is a good start.
*$^%#@^*%$ SOBs. The whole POINT of grabbing a cab at the curb was to avoid the friggin miserable slow crappy shuttles and the incredible delays and having to hump your luggage all over god's creation.
Further incentive to fly out from ANYWHERE else.
I sent this email to LAX info email address:
Hi,
I am writing regarding the new absurd rules announced today about LAX banning taxi and rideshare pickups from the terminals. This rule is completely ridiculous and needs to be re-thought out. It might not be that big of a deal for adults travelling, but it is crazy for anyone travelling with kids. As it is, it is extremely difficult to schlep two suitcases, one...
I sent this email to LAX info email address:
Hi,
I am writing regarding the new absurd rules announced today about LAX banning taxi and rideshare pickups from the terminals. This rule is completely ridiculous and needs to be re-thought out. It might not be that big of a deal for adults travelling, but it is crazy for anyone travelling with kids. As it is, it is extremely difficult to schlep two suitcases, one or two carry-ons, a couple bags, two car seats and sometimes a stroller too, from the arrivals level to the departures level to meet rideshare pickups there, when I travel with my wife, and two kids (aged 9 months and 2.5 years). Now, to start loading all this onto a shuttle, and then having to unload it all at the rideshare pickup area, and then load it all into an uber or lyft, this is just plain ridiculous and unfair. Also, most shuttle buses do not have proper seats with seatbelts to secure 2 car seats in for my kids so it is very unsafe to ride these shuttles with young children.
Please rethink this decision and let logic prevail, there is really no alternative for any family travelling with kids if they don't have someone to come pick them up!
If you want to reduce congestion in the airport, it actually makes more sense to ban all private cars and allow only taxis and rideshare services! Private cars are there to pickup only specific people and they wait, circle, park, and block traffic for everyone else; while rideshares wait around a lot less, find their passengers, load up, and leave much quicker!
Honestly it seems like the norm in California is to make ridiculous decisions that are not at all thought through, all in the name of being green and earth conscious! (take for example SFO Airport's decision to ban plastic water bottles, it sounds very green, but do you know how much heavier glass bottles are? how extra gas is burned trucking them to the airport? how much danger all this glass brings to the airport, not to mention the security risks of glass shards being used as a weapon?)
I really hope this decision is retracted!
This is great news - the delays this summer into LAX were unbearable. Once the intermodal facility is done, it'll be even better. The nice thing is LAX has 9 years to figure this out until the Olympics LOL
Awesome awesome awesome! The upper level is a zoo because of rideshares and the lower level is downright scary for cars with all the buses. Lately I've just been hiking in and out from QuikPark but with the ubers/lifts gone and redistributing buses, maybe the loops will see better traffic patterns and everyone's time waiting will be reduced.
I thought the new system they had at SFO worked pretty well when I was there in July.
Not perfect but better than it was.
I would have had coloured zones rather than numbers as it would be clearer.
But Some passengers just ignored the number area they were told by the app to go. If it was ‘wait in red zone’ where the pavement area is painted red it would have helped.
ORD last year was just a mess and needs sorting out if it hasn’t already
LAX you have no choice but to arrive/depart in some vehicle. Echo the points above that most US cities are way behind the rest of the world. While DCA has Metro, SFO has BART and ATL has MARTA, I'm struggling to name other mass transit options direct into major airports
I'm actually really glad about this change. I normally take the Flyaway or the Green Line with shuttle connection and the traffic is horrible. Perhaps with these options now potentially faster, people would consider helping out and choosing the more environmentally beneficial option while reducing congestion.
This is great news! LAX is my home airport and since approval was given to ride sharing services the traffic has been horrible, although I don't know why taxis are lumped into this because it's rather organized at the arrivals terminals but the shuttle services and ride sharing cars are a nightmare.
LAX is building a rail system as we speak - it will be similar to SFO to the new rental car facility,...
This is great news! LAX is my home airport and since approval was given to ride sharing services the traffic has been horrible, although I don't know why taxis are lumped into this because it's rather organized at the arrivals terminals but the shuttle services and ride sharing cars are a nightmare.
LAX is building a rail system as we speak - it will be similar to SFO to the new rental car facility, not to mention after the Crenshaw line is finished next year. And there are many shortcuts at LAX - you're not forced to loop but people just don't know about them which is good for me.
I support this and I fly to LAX monthly and often use Uber/Lyft and hotel/rent car shuttles...I'm at lower level often and have been traveling there steadily since 2007. Important to note this is a two fix until transit center near Aviation Blvd opens. The people move tram will move between terminals & transit center. My understanding is that all taxis, ride shares, Metro train riders & rent car users will be required to use...
I support this and I fly to LAX monthly and often use Uber/Lyft and hotel/rent car shuttles...I'm at lower level often and have been traveling there steadily since 2007. Important to note this is a two fix until transit center near Aviation Blvd opens. The people move tram will move between terminals & transit center. My understanding is that all taxis, ride shares, Metro train riders & rent car users will be required to use new transit center. So, shuttles and private cars will be only things allowed in horseshoe. The people mover will be fast and cut down on the 45 minute waits for a hotel shuttle...it's currently unbearable.
I dont understand why the taxi stand has to go away. These guys pay license fees, medallions, etc that the Ubers of the world don't plus airport pickup fees. You pay a premium to ride in a taxi but getting picked up at the curb would be more than worth it. Plus, these guys are already radioed in as needed, so its not like they are the cause of the congestion. Doesn't make sense for...
I dont understand why the taxi stand has to go away. These guys pay license fees, medallions, etc that the Ubers of the world don't plus airport pickup fees. You pay a premium to ride in a taxi but getting picked up at the curb would be more than worth it. Plus, these guys are already radioed in as needed, so its not like they are the cause of the congestion. Doesn't make sense for anybody.
Big win for Southwest and T1-2 flyers. The idea of getting on a bus to go to a taxi is just so f---ed in space I can't even grasp it.
All that said - I think the change in traffic flow is going to help - a lot. The setup is like O'Hare, except that LAX has more outer lanes. Trying to have dopy drivers trying to find their way into the inner lanes is the cause of much of the congestion. This is actually really smart and I look forward to it.
BOS seems to be working fine for now, with a couple of designated taxi/rideshare pickup zones that are right next to terminals and curbside drop-off. Very soon rideshare pickup and dropoff will move to the central parking garage. Still no shuttles, but a longer walk to/from terminals. They also try to encourage use of the Logan Express bus from downtown by letting riders get to the front of the security line.
Fashion goes in circles. Wide neckties for a number of years followed by narrow then wide again. Airports are no different.
At one time DFW was the popular design. MCI copied.
Then PIT became popular. Lots of gates and not much landside.
One day DFW will be the popular design again as there's lots of space for Uber and taxis.
Awesome news!
Neil writes: "At many airports Uber/Lyft have to pay a fee for entering the airport and the cars have some form of transponders/ID the airport uses to charge Uber/Lyft."
Sure but a transponder can be switched off or removed, and then a ride share car is just an ordinary car., which are allowed to drop off for free. After all, when off duty that same car is just an ordinary private car, right?
As for...
Neil writes: "At many airports Uber/Lyft have to pay a fee for entering the airport and the cars have some form of transponders/ID the airport uses to charge Uber/Lyft."
Sure but a transponder can be switched off or removed, and then a ride share car is just an ordinary car., which are allowed to drop off for free. After all, when off duty that same car is just an ordinary private car, right?
As for the name, ride sharing is a part of the broader "sharing economy", including Airbnb as well. It is sharing but it's not a charity - that's the "economy" part :)
JJJJJJ: regarding FlyAway... affordable? Yes. Comfortable? No way. Dirty buses, diesel fumes if you sit in the back (which is mostly the case if you get picked up at T3/TB and beyond) and most annoyingly 30-45 minute delays for buses to arrive and when they do, you watch them drive away because they are "FULL". I use them to get to Van Nuys, I typically land around 5, it's a 50/50 chance or worse if I leave the airport by 6.
@Max - lol, I know right! I haven't even mentioned that in my previous comment.
The US has to be the worst country to navigate to/from/within airports and is WAY behind the rest of the world in that regard.
At my "local" airport (Munich) I can be on the S Train quicker than if I would exit the terminal to get into a car. Heck even my hometown Perth will be opening up a direct train line to the city next year (and it's only going to cost a regular transport fare).
I was at LAX on Monday, and saw that they are doing the prep work for this at the open air parking lot between the Hyatt Regency and T1 (Southwest). Anyone arriving in T1 or T2 can easily walk there.
@Tom who asks how airports can tell the difference between private cars and ride-hailing services.
At many airports Uber/Lyft have to pay a fee for entering the airport and the cars have some form of transponders/ID the airport uses to charge Uber/Lyft.
BTW I find the term ride-sharing to be a very misleading term. Ride-sharing is where you and your neighbor/cousin/friend/random hitchhiker carpool to the airport/downtown/...Uber and Lyft are a modern form of taxis...
@Tom who asks how airports can tell the difference between private cars and ride-hailing services.
At many airports Uber/Lyft have to pay a fee for entering the airport and the cars have some form of transponders/ID the airport uses to charge Uber/Lyft.
BTW I find the term ride-sharing to be a very misleading term. Ride-sharing is where you and your neighbor/cousin/friend/random hitchhiker carpool to the airport/downtown/...Uber and Lyft are a modern form of taxis and are better referred to as (app-based) Ride-hailing services..
Uber Black and and vehicles with a TCP permit (essentially limousines and professional drivers) will still be able to pick up at LAX lower level, albeit at the outer curb. It is only taxicabs and UberX/Lyft which are being relocated off site. I believe that there is already a fee of about $4 on all trips originating at LAX for all of these vehicles (which, as one person noted above, is a revenue generating mechanism...
Uber Black and and vehicles with a TCP permit (essentially limousines and professional drivers) will still be able to pick up at LAX lower level, albeit at the outer curb. It is only taxicabs and UberX/Lyft which are being relocated off site. I believe that there is already a fee of about $4 on all trips originating at LAX for all of these vehicles (which, as one person noted above, is a revenue generating mechanism and not a congestion reduction scheme), and the LAX/LAWA press release makes no mention of that fee being changed.
Good riddance to these UberX, Lyft, and taxicabs from the Central Terminal Area. They are largely driven by inconsiderate oafs who stop wherever they damned well please (and not just at LAX), impede traffic, and are a general nuisance. I’d like to see them banned from other places too.
The idiots running LAX has no vision and no clue what they are doing. This traffic issue was there BEFORE ride share became a thing. Hell, the traffic congestion issue was probably there for 20 years now.
Either these people didn't hire the right consultants or they just use their own tiny brain.
THERE IS NO CHEAP WAY TO FIX LAX ANYMORE, YOU NEED TO RECLAIM MOVE CLEAR and BUILD!!!!!!!!
Like others smart...
The idiots running LAX has no vision and no clue what they are doing. This traffic issue was there BEFORE ride share became a thing. Hell, the traffic congestion issue was probably there for 20 years now.
Either these people didn't hire the right consultants or they just use their own tiny brain.
THERE IS NO CHEAP WAY TO FIX LAX ANYMORE, YOU NEED TO RECLAIM MOVE CLEAR and BUILD!!!!!!!!
Like others smart people here suggested, you have to spread out traffic not consolidate.
The big issue is people getting to T1 is forced to get stuck in the 'loop' to get out, same as getting stuck before reaching T7.
Sad thing is CA government is poor. Cities are filled with homeless. Water seems to disappear. LAX has the worst public transportation for a large city. I guess I see why Trump hates California.
This is especially difficult for those of us that travel with a passenger with mobility issues. The LAX shuttles are terrible for wheelchairs and the drivers don’t care.
@ajwong
Unless they changed it from the last time I was there, Silvercar at LAX actually didn't partner with Lyft. They are located inside one of the off-premise airport parking lots (WallyPark) and you get to their location by taking the same shuttle that other WallyPark customers take. So they should be unaffected by this change.
The flyaway busses are affordable and comfortable. Give them a try
Austin has had this for a little under a year, much different situation but I would say in our case it has worked well
Hmmm, how does an airport even know which are ride share cars which, by defintion, are just ordinary private cars?
This is going to be an unmitigated disaster and LAX will continue to be a nightmare any way you slice it - even after the arrival of their half-assed "Intermodal Transportation Facility" that, at best case scenario, won't be in use until 2023. That's assuming everything goes to plan. In reality, I think we can expect a 2024/5 opening.
Like others have said, there's way too much non-rideshare traffic already that any "frequent shuttle" -...
This is going to be an unmitigated disaster and LAX will continue to be a nightmare any way you slice it - even after the arrival of their half-assed "Intermodal Transportation Facility" that, at best case scenario, won't be in use until 2023. That's assuming everything goes to plan. In reality, I think we can expect a 2024/5 opening.
Like others have said, there's way too much non-rideshare traffic already that any "frequent shuttle" - an oxymoron if I've ever heard one - will still be ensnared in horrific traffic. Think of the "Flyaway Bus": still a 35-40 minute ride from Union Station. There's simply way more cars of all varieties than there are physical traffic lanes to quickly conduct them from point A to B, and that's before you add overly long "goodbye" and "welcome home" hugs and kisses. Nothing will change unless you ban all non-public transport or specific hotel- and delivery-type shuttles. No private cars of any sort. If all of those were diverted to a nearby drop off with a constantly-moving flow of pax via travelator/moving sidwalk, then maybe LAX has a chance.
This is the airport traffic version of cleaning your room by picking up a dirty pile of clothes from one corner, dropping it in another, than dusting your hands together and exclaiming, "There! All better!" All it will do is serve to upset and confuse even more travelers.
How about building a world-class rail system to connect the airport to key locations in the city? Think about Hong Kong Airport Express, Heathrow Express/Crossrail in London, Transrapid in Shanghai, AREX in Seoul.
Even most of the third-world-sh*th*les nowadays have better public transport than literally any US city.
I would avoid LAX and fly into another airport happily
I have back and knee issues and Will not take a shuttle with bags
Farewell LAX I just reduced your congestion -1
This will probably be ok.... this was going to happen anyway: LAX is building a train system that will have have a separate rental car facility as a train stop and another stop that will be a transit and parking hub where taxis, ride share, etc. will be. This bus is a great “training” for travelers since this will eventually be required in the future when the train and hubs are built. This is an...
This will probably be ok.... this was going to happen anyway: LAX is building a train system that will have have a separate rental car facility as a train stop and another stop that will be a transit and parking hub where taxis, ride share, etc. will be. This bus is a great “training” for travelers since this will eventually be required in the future when the train and hubs are built. This is an annoyance but something had to fix the congestion in the terminal loop. I am okay with it... and will have an open mind.
I am reminded of the thousands of hours of my life that have been waisted waiting for hotel and rental car shuttle busses in front of airports. There is no such thing as “frequent” shuttle busses. Sounds like new reasons to hate LAX even more.
@Lucky
There is one favorite vendor of yours (and mine) that will be really hurt by this... Silvercar.
Currently they use Lyft to pick-up/drop-off renters between their lot and the terminals.
Now you have to deal with an intermediate stop before/after your rental. I love Silvercar, I love the idea of not having to wait for a shuttle bus to circle, but adding another chokepoint would strongly have me reconsider using Silvercar in LA.
I think anything that isn’t a shuttle needs to be severely limited. I especially welcome restrictions on ride shares.
The problem with LAX is that even if one does their part to help reduce traffic by taking a shuttle, they’re still stuck in traffic in the shuttle. At the margin, to an individual, there’s no benefit to taking a shuttle and there’s no cost to taking a car.
It’s completely idiotic to concentrate all those...
I think anything that isn’t a shuttle needs to be severely limited. I especially welcome restrictions on ride shares.
The problem with LAX is that even if one does their part to help reduce traffic by taking a shuttle, they’re still stuck in traffic in the shuttle. At the margin, to an individual, there’s no benefit to taking a shuttle and there’s no cost to taking a car.
It’s completely idiotic to concentrate all those civilian / ride share vehicles in to one small “horse shoe”. This traffic needs to be distributed and disbursed away from the front door step of the airport.
All the world’s best airports deliberately setup their transportation centers away from the terminals. Why? It provides the space and a buffer for all the trains, buses, cars, etc.
Think about it. If all nearly 200 people on a domestic narrowbody took their own Uber to the airport, that’s nearly 200 cars. Imagine an image of 200 Toyota Corollas parked next to a A321 or 737. 200 cars do not fit on a plane. At some point, these must converge. Now multiply this by at least 100. Something will have to intermediate all those people from all those cars into all those planes. Curbside terminals are probably the single worst way to accomplish this.
This isn’t about hating ride share. This is about transportation. Cars the problem at LAX. They have to be limited.
To add to Eppleby: Edinburgh have both a pick up and drop off fee, £4 last time I was there. My local airport BHX also has a curb side drop off / pick up fee
Heathrow (well definitely T3) Uber can drop you off at the curbside but pre-booked taxi and Uber have a pre-assigned pick up point at an attached carpark - at least no shuttle required.
Uber needs to follow their practice at non-US airports where they give you a code which you show to any category driver (Uber X, Uber Black etc.) and off you go. No matching of car & rider until end of process. Would speed up pickups for sure.
I would assume that taxi/car demand at an airport is relatively inelastic. Every arrival needs to leave the airport and (as you note) there are not many other good transportation options at LAX. So a fee would likely generate significant revenue, but would not likely reduce congestion.
What Eppleby said. LBA its 3GBP just to drop someone off. That said, it doesnt seem to deter too many folks. I have seen some drive to the Best Western (I think) that is ~0.3 miles from the terminal and drop folks off. Or try and drop folks off just outside the area, making it a pain for everyone trying to get around.
I dont know. I think a dedicated rideshare area is fine (Lyft/Uber...
What Eppleby said. LBA its 3GBP just to drop someone off. That said, it doesnt seem to deter too many folks. I have seen some drive to the Best Western (I think) that is ~0.3 miles from the terminal and drop folks off. Or try and drop folks off just outside the area, making it a pain for everyone trying to get around.
I dont know. I think a dedicated rideshare area is fine (Lyft/Uber pickup only in a certain zone). Cabs only at cab ranks. Shuttling people to an outer lot seems like asking the public to find ways around it - which just makes matters worse. Better public transit into and around the airport would help.
I've gotten used to the bus to the taxi stand at LGA, and it's not that terrible, especially now that they have redone the additional curbside areas in front of terminals C&D.
@CK +1 for BOS.
We have used Lyft, taken the Logan Express bus to/from the remote parking lots, and also driven there with a rental vehicle and each one worked well with good organization. I can't think of any other major airport in the US where it worked that easily.
I think not just LAX, but all airports (and passengers) need to realize that ride-sharing is normal now and will not go away. Airport curbsides are really a zoo now with buses, shuttles, Ubers, taxis, personal vehicles, police cars, vans and people with luggage all creating a bottleneck. Granted, I am not familiar with the road layout at LAX, but putting ride-sharing vehicles (actually all pickups/drop-offs) in a completely different area makes sense for everyone....
I think not just LAX, but all airports (and passengers) need to realize that ride-sharing is normal now and will not go away. Airport curbsides are really a zoo now with buses, shuttles, Ubers, taxis, personal vehicles, police cars, vans and people with luggage all creating a bottleneck. Granted, I am not familiar with the road layout at LAX, but putting ride-sharing vehicles (actually all pickups/drop-offs) in a completely different area makes sense for everyone. However, I would argue making it within walking distance of the terminal would serve passengers the best. As a family with a young child, getting into a shuttle for an Uber/Lyft would be a waste of time.
Yep, at SFO driver showed a 6 minute drive that took 30 minutes because of traffic to a single location. Single areas do not work for airports. Logan is somewhat workable as they have multiple designated pickup areas. This is going to be a disaster.
AFAIK, many major airports require app-based driving services like Uber/Lyft to pick up somewhere that isn't curbside. It is less convenient, yes, but it is also the cheapness factor. Curbside pick-up is becoming a premium.
I'm assuming the typical premium car services will still be much closer?
Oh man. Talk about bad news. If the Uber is already dropping people off at the airport then picking up someone at that same moment makes more sense. This won’t cut down congestion bc it won’t effect drop offs. So the same number of people are coming to the airport but now it’s all going to be in one place instead of multiple terminals. This is the definition of a cluster#uck.
Leeds/Bradford charge 3 pounds for kiss and fly parking whilst Manchester (UK) charge 4 pounds.
Sounds like LAX is a bargain.