Riding the Rails in Los Angeles
by James Reilly (iFlyLAX.com)

Who said L.A. has no public transportation?

Although the Los Angeles area hosts an intricate network of freeway and surface street bus routes, riding buses in any American city seems to rank below hitch-hiking (don't even think about it!) as the preferred way to get around town.

But did you know that you can get from LAX to downtown Los Angeles quietly and comfortably in less than an hour for $1.60 !? Yes, the L.A. Metro rail network is ever-expanding. Take the short shuttle bus ride from the airport's Central Terminal Area to the Green Line Aviation Blvd. station, and board the little light rail cars toward Norwalk. Enroute, at the Imperial-Wilmington Ave. "Rosa Parks" station, you will need to switch trains (easily done) to the Los Angeles (northbound) Blue Line to complete the journey. (Should I mention that you could also go southbound to Long Beach and the Aquarium of the Pacific.)

The downtown terminus of the Blue Line is underground at 7th Street, just a short walk from Arco Plaza and the historic Los Angeles Public Library. (The Pico station, just one stop before that is where you would get off if you are heading for the L.A. Convention Center or the Staples Center Sports Arena.) You'll also have the option at the 7th Street station to jump onto the Red Line, on which you can ride over to Union Station or into Hollywood and Universal Studios, and beyond.

The cars and platforms are clean and well-patrolled by Metro Security officers; and you had better mind your "p"s and "q"s, as there are stiff penalties for smoking, eating, drinking or creating any kind of disturbance on a train or platform. Tickets can be purchased from machines at every station and are used on the "honor system"... Again, stiff penalties for freeloaders. There are no express trains, so expect many stops; but relax, the only time you won't find a seat may be during rush hours on a weekday.

Click Here for a complete Metro Rail map

The connecting ride from LAX to downtown passes through parts of the city that tourists might usually avoid, but does offer an air-conditioned glimpse of how the other half lives. No worries... just keep a low profile and blend right in with the locals. You can bring your luggage with you if necessary, but I wouldn't recommend dragging along more than a roll-aboard and shoulder bag.

Is there a down side to riding the rails in L.A.? Well, it would be nice if there were a more direct line from the airport to downtown or Hollywood (It would have been even nicer if they hadn't torn out the old "Red Car" lines to the beach in the '50s); and the fact that the Blue Line changes from an elevated / right-of-way train to what is essentially a "street car" as it approaches downtown adds at least ten minutes to the ride.

So, no more complaining about how LAX is isolated and seperated from the heart of Los Angeles by an expensive limo or taxi ride; or an agonizing, endless bus ride (as is still the case for ground transport to Santa Monica, UCLA or the West Side). In fact, I'm writing this story on a west bound Green Line train at this moment, while returning from a business appointment downtown, to the last stop at the "Marine Street" station (where my gas-guzzling SUV is parked in the free "Park & Ride" lot) not far from my home a few miles south of the airport. Happy rails!

Visit the Los Angeles MTA website for more information on rail and bus transportation in the L.A. area.

Hollywood's Renaissance
By James Reilly

Summertime at LAX (information for iFlyLAX.com "insiders") (continued below)

by James Reilly

Believe it or not, being publisher of the iFlyLAX.com website doesn't get me any special priviledges at LAX. (After all, we are NOT the airport's "official" website.) Like you, I must obey the rules and jump through the hoops whenever I go to LAX, either as a passenger or a "meet-and-greeter". But after twenty years working out of the airport; and longer than that living near and regularly using the facility, I've learned a few tricks and heard a few things. (continued below photo...)

In fact, just this morning, I took my parents to LAX for their 10:00 a.m. flight on Delta Song back to Florida. And the whole episode went like butter! I entered the airport via the Sepulveda Blvd. tunnel (from the south) and followed the signage up onto the Departure level. Now on this day, the traffic on both the upper/Departure level and the lower/Arrival level was flowing smoothly, so I stayed up top. But had I noticed a big jam of slow moving vehicles on the Departure level as I approached the split (pictured above), I would have opted to take the lower/Arrival level road aound to Delta (Terminal 5). Because access to and from the upper (check-in & gates) and lower (baggage carousels & transportation) levels is easily achieved via escalators or elevators; and much time could be saved.

...continued here from home page
My parents had electronic tickets, so I dropped them off at the curb at the que of passengers waiting in line to check-in with the Delta "skycaps" who handle everything right there outdoors in front of the terminal. They received their boarding passes and proceeded to the security inspection checkpoint inside the building. If you don't have any large luggage pieces to check and are travelling light with only a carry-on or two, many airlines now have electronic kiosks for "e-ticket" holders which will check you in and issue you a boarding pass located next to their ticket counters.

If I had opted to actually park my car in a parking structure across from the terminal and walk them to the check-in area, I would now have to say my good-byes because only passengers with tickets are allowed past the security check-points, and unfortunately all of the little restaurants and shops are located within the secured areas of the terminals (with the exception of the Bradley International Terminal and the Encounter Restaurant across the street in the middle of the Central Terminal Area). And because of this, as of late, the area where meeters-and-greeters wait for their parties is at the bottom of the escalators leading to the baggage claim carousels. Long gone are the days where I would wait at the gate jetway in the terminal next to the limo drivers with their little signs with names on them. (they're now waiting at the bottom of the escalators, too).

Before I get off the subject of drop-off, pick-up and parking, I want to remind you... make that WARN you... DO NOT leave your vehicle unattended at the curb -- even for a moment! The LAX traffic police can be vicious, and are eager to issue citations (even for sitting there in your car waiting for someone -- you'll have to "circle" around). If you're lucky, you'll just get a toungue-lashing. If not, you'll get a ticket, or towed! I have even received reports that an LAX traffic cop told a driver that a camera had photographed their license plate number, and that they would be receiving a ticket by mail. In this person's case, it turned out to be just a mean hoax; but it none-the-less upset the person and ruined their day (and experience at LAX).

LAX insiders and I also know that it is easy to walk between terminal buildings at LAX (it does require, however, that you be re-screened through the next terminal's security check-point). If you look at the "bird's-eye" view 3-D terminal map on this website, you can relate to the fact that each of the main terminal buildings are about 150 meters/yards or so apart (about one and a half lengths of a football field); it takes about 5~8 minutes to walk to the next building over. If you need to go two or three buildings over, do the math. You can also walk across from one side of the complex to the other, as there are sidewalks, traffic lights and crosswalks; but most travellers take the free "Connections" shuttle bus from the lower level which circles around and around the complex.

I hope the information above will assist you with any plans you may have to travel which involve LAX, or if you are just planning on picking someone up or dropping them off. And I know you've heard it a thousand times, but the recommendation of arriving at the airport 2-hours before departing flights (3 hours before international flights) is made for the reason that you just never know how crowded the place will be. And you've got a three-ring circus to deal with: traffic, check-in and security. Ahh... LAX... the greatest show on earth!