Can't Get There From Here

Commentary by Noel T. Braymer, March 1995

I recently had a pleasant conversation with fellow RailPAC member and REVIEW contributor Trevor Clarke. Trevor spends most Saturdays as a volunteer at the San Diego train station's Travelers Aid booth. He told me that the question he gets asked most is, "how do I get to the airport (particularly LAX) by rail?" Since May 1 the Burbank Airport has had direct METROLINK service, in addition to three SAN DIEGAN round trips running the past year, and bus connections with the SAN JOAQUINS. The Burbank Airport train station is only a quarter mile from the terminal.

Burbank Airport is a good beginning, but is the exception to the rule. Why should there be rail service to any airport? Because that is where there is traffic and congestion. Why else would parking be $10 a day at LAX? LAX is increasing its capacity from 45 to 60 millon passengers a year. That averages 164,000 passengers a day! If that weren't enough, airports are also commercial, industrial and employment centers. Travel is important for business, and being close to the airport is good for business.

In San Diego, rail passengers can get to Lindbergh Field by catching the #2 bus by the depot. Service isn't bad, with buses every 10 minutes during the day. In most cities it is possible to take a transit bus to the airport, but it is not an ideal way to do so. Transit buses don't have places to store luggage. They are hard to get on and off with bags. Transit buses are often slow, unreliable when stuck in traffic, crowded, and the connection to the airport is often indirect. A dedicated shuttle with direct service to the airport is desirable even in San Diego.

There is a proposal to build new terminals on property formerly used by General Dynamics at Lindbergh Field. This would put the terminals right next to the freeway and the tracks of the Trolley and COASTER, which would be a perfect location for a train station. Despite proposals to relocate to a new, larger airport no progress has been made in over 40 years. There is a larger, modern International Airport only 16 miles from downtown San Diego: in Tijuana. Though not publicized, there are direct bus connections from the San Diego depot to this Tijuana airport.

In Orange County, when a METROLINK station is built in Tustin, shuttle service to nearby John Wayne Airport will be possible. Efforts continue to convert the El Toro Marine Air Station, which closes by the end of the decade, into a commercial airport. There is local opposition to the conversion of El Toro, but if it becomes a commercial airport the Irvine train station is right next door.

In Southern California, LAX is THE airport. This summer may see the opening of the Green Line, which runs near LAX, but ends two miles short of the terminals. The Norwalk METROLINK station will also open this summer, but the Green Line ends in Norwalk, 2.8 miles away. One solution is to make Norwalk an Amtrak stop, and shuttle buses can run directly to LAX using the carpool lanes of the Century Freeway for most of the route. Another solution would be to provide bus connections at Anaheim using existing Disneyland-LAX commercial bus service. Amtrak and METROLINK passengers could also ride buses from Van Nuys to LAX. In the future direct rail service is possible, but buses could be run this year.

LAX is served by the old Santa Fe Harbor Line. METROLINK can be extended to LAX and connect with the Green Line. Both could share shuttle bus service to the terminals. In the future there will be a "people mover" to replace the shuttle buses. Passengers from Union Station to LAX can now ride the 42 or 439 bus which takes an hour and a half to go 16 miles and then transfer to a shuttle bus to the terminals. They can catch an Airport shuttle van which is cheaper than a cab. Or, they soon can take the Red Line, transfer to the Blue Line, catch the Green Line, and ride to the terminals in a shuttle bus with their luggage. METROLINK to LAX wouldn't just serve downtown LA, but most of the METROLINK service area.

Efforts continue to extend BART to San Francisco International (SFO). This puts BART in the basement of the International terminal. A transfer to a "people mover" will be needed to go to other terminals. Currently there is shuttle bus service for CalTrain to SFO at Millbrae. In the future it might be necessary for CalTrain passengers to transfer to BART near the airport, and then to the "people mover" to get where they want to go. A better solution for CalTrain would be to keep the shuttle bus until an Airport station with "people mover" connections to the terminals can be built.

There is shuttle bus service from the Oakland Airport to the BART station at the Oakland Coliseum. It would be possible to build an Amtrak station at the Coliseum for BART and airport connections. This would provide additional connections for the CAPITOLS and SAN JOAQUINS should that train be extended to San Jose. So far no word for Amtrak service at this intermodal site.

The SAN JOAQUINS have direct bus service to LAX and Burbank Airport from Bakersfield. But other than local transit there are no connections to airports in San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento, San Jose, Ontario, Fresno or Bakersfield on Amtrak trains. Ontario Airport is near METROLINK stations on the Riverside and San Bernardino lines. Currently connections are limited.

Success at Burbank Airport could mean better rail connections at other airports. Shuttle bus or van service to most airports from the closest train station is simple to do. METROLINK service from Union Station to near LAX would not be complicated and could be done in a short time. CalTrain should have an airport station with "people mover" connections at SFO. Otherwise, the answer to getting to the airport by rail is, "you can't get there from here."


RailPAC Contacts Publications Issues Archives Airports Can't Get There... Metrolink should stop... Meeting Reports Membership Links	Can't Get There From Here Commentary by Noel T. Braymer, March 1995 I recently had a pleasant conversation with fellow RailPAC member and REVIEW contributor Trevor Clarke. Trevor spends most Saturdays as a volunteer at the San Diego train station's Travelers Aid booth. He told me that the question he gets asked most is, "how do I get to the airport (particularly LAX) by rail?" Since May 1 the Burbank Airport has had direct METROLINK service, in addition to three SAN DIEGAN round trips running the past year, and bus connections with the SAN JOAQUINS. The Burbank Airport train station is only a quarter mile from the terminal. Burbank Airport is a good beginning, but is the exception to the rule. Why should there be rail service to any airport? Because that is where there is traffic and congestion. Why else would parking be $10 a day at LAX? LAX is increasing its capacity from 45 to 60 millon passengers a year. That averages 164,000 passengers a day! If that weren't enough, airports are also commercial, industrial and employment centers. Travel is important for business, and being close to the airport is good for business. In San Diego, rail passengers can get to Lindbergh Field by catching the #2 bus by the depot. Service isn't bad, with buses every 10 minutes during the day. In most cities it is possible to take a transit bus to the airport, but it is not an ideal way to do so. Transit buses don't have places to store luggage. They are hard to get on and off with bags. Transit buses are often slow, unreliable when stuck in traffic, crowded, and the connection to the airport is often indirect. A dedicated shuttle with direct service to the airport is desirable even in San Diego. There is a proposal to build new terminals on property formerly used by General Dynamics at Lindbergh Field. This would put the terminals right next to the freeway and the tracks of the Trolley and COASTER, which would be a perfect location for a train station. Despite proposals to relocate to a new, larger airport no progress has been made in over 40 years. There is a larger, modern International Airport only 16 miles from downtown San Diego: in Tijuana. Though not publicized, there are direct bus connections from the San Diego depot to this Tijuana airport. In Orange County, when a METROLINK station is built in Tustin, shuttle service to nearby John Wayne Airport will be possible. Efforts continue to convert the El Toro Marine Air Station, which closes by the end of the decade, into a commercial airport. There is local opposition to the conversion of El Toro, but if it becomes a commercial airport the Irvine train station is right next door. In Southern California, LAX is THE airport. This summer may see the opening of the Green Line, which runs near LAX, but ends two miles short of the terminals. The Norwalk METROLINK station will also open this summer, but the Green Line ends in Norwalk, 2.8 miles away. One solution is to make Norwalk an Amtrak stop, and shuttle buses can run directly to LAX using the carpool lanes of the Century Freeway for most of the route. Another solution would be to provide bus connections at Anaheim using existing Disneyland-LAX commercial bus service. Amtrak and METROLINK passengers could also ride buses from Van Nuys to LAX. In the future direct rail service is possible, but buses could be run this year. LAX is served by the old Santa Fe Harbor Line. METROLINK can be extended to LAX and connect with the Green Line. Both could share shuttle bus service to the terminals. In the future there will be a "people mover" to replace the shuttle buses. Passengers from Union Station to LAX can now ride the 42 or 439 bus which takes an hour and a half to go 16 miles and then transfer to a shuttle bus to the terminals. They can catch an Airport shuttle van which is cheaper than a cab. Or, they soon can take the Red Line, transfer to the Blue Line, catch the Green Line, and ride to the terminals in a shuttle bus with their luggage. METROLINK to LAX wouldn't just serve downtown LA, but most of the METROLINK service area. Efforts continue to extend BART to San Francisco International (SFO). This puts BART in the basement of the International terminal. A transfer to a "people mover" will be needed to go to other terminals. Currently there is shuttle bus service for CalTrain to SFO at Millbrae. In the future it might be necessary for CalTrain passengers to transfer to BART near the airport, and then to the "people mover" to get where they want to go. A better solution for CalTrain would be to keep the shuttle bus until an Airport station with "people mover" connections to the terminals can be built. There is shuttle bus service from the Oakland Airport to the BART station at the Oakland Coliseum. It would be possible to build an Amtrak station at the Coliseum for BART and airport connections. This would provide additional connections for the CAPITOLS and SAN JOAQUINS should that train be extended to San Jose. So far no word for Amtrak service at this intermodal site. The SAN JOAQUINS have direct bus service to LAX and Burbank Airport from Bakersfield. But other than local transit there are no connections to airports in San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento, San Jose, Ontario, Fresno or Bakersfield on Amtrak trains. Ontario Airport is near METROLINK stations on the Riverside and San Bernardino lines. Currently connections are limited. Success at Burbank Airport could mean better rail connections at other airports. Shuttle bus or van service to most airports from the closest train station is simple to do. METROLINK service from Union Station to near LAX would not be complicated and could be done in a short time. CalTrain should have an airport station with "people mover" connections at SFO. Otherwise, the answer to getting to the airport by rail is, "you can't get there from here."
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