The LAX Metro Transit Center will be operational on June 6, 2025, bringing LA one step closer to ultimately removing its dependency on cars.

What do you think one of the biggest pet peeves those living in Los Angeles feel needs improvement in the city? If you said traffic, you’d probably be right. Taking the 405, the 110, or the 105 can be an exercise in patience depending on when you travel. While this announcement won’t fully help with the traffic, any incremental change is welcomed.

The opening of the LAX Metro Transit Center

Los Angeles’s Metro has recently announced the opening date for its new LAX Metro Transit Center. The center is scheduled to open on Friday, June 6, 2025. While this isn’t the important connection between LAX and the rest of Los Angeles, it’s still necessary to bring the metro rails closer to Los Angeles. With the inclusion of this station, both the C and K lines will take you most of the way to LAX. It’s just the highly-anticipated Automated People Mover that needs to open to take you to the terminals.

Additionally, this would eliminate the need to take a shuttle between Westchester/Veterans and Aviation/Century given the construction of the LAX Metro Transit Center, an annoyance for locals.

How close to LAX is the new LAX Metro Transit Center? Not close enough that you’d want to walk. It would take you around 45 minutes to walk to Terminal 1 from this new transit center. For what it’s worth, if you’re committed to walking, it’s better to do it from the Aviation/Century station, but it’s still a 30 minute walk (with all your luggage).

Right now, there are bus transfers to take you from the Aviation/LAX station (to be renamed Aviation/Imperial). I have to imagine that airport buses will instead solely operate out of the new LAX Metro Transit Center until the Automated People Mover debuts.

This is just one of the many ongoing projects

Los Angeles is attempting to transform its infrastructure in time for the 2028 Olympic Games. If nothing else, as a Los Angeles resident, I’m glad the Games are coming to force the city to update. The 1984 Summer Olympics was one of the most successful Olympics of its era and I think the city doesn’t want to disappoint for the next round.

The LAX Metro Transit Center is but one of many improvements coming for the airport.

In January 2026, the Automated People Mover is expected to start running. This is the big project that will transport passengers from the airport to the LAX Metro Transit Center. Along the way, there will be stops at

• LAX-it, where you can catch an Uber, Lyft, or taxi to your destination
• ConRAC, the Consolidated Rent-A-Car facility that is still a work in progress
• LAX economy parking

All of this doesn’t include the many additional Metro improvements scheduled. Some of these were supposed to be completed before 2028, but it seems that date was too optimistic.

But… will it actually improve traffic at LAX?

On a macro level, you have to assume that the opening of the LAX Metro Transit Center will marginally improve traffic. Anyone who ends up using the facility who would otherwise be driving a car or using rideshare will help traffic. But is it realistic to significantly improve traffic? If you weren’t using Metro in LA already, this station by itself might not change much.

Until the Automated People Mover opens, I can’t imagine traffic will materially improve. The problem at LAX is its horseshoe design, which directs all travelers into the same area regardless of which terminal is their destination. Having all buses and shuttles also in the horseshoe doesn’t help things. Collectively, that leads to incredible congestion. It’s sadly one of the worst airports we’ve been to in that regard.

As a frequent traveler to LAX, it’s important to know that there are times where it’s less crowded to be on the departures level and others where you’ll want to be on the arrivals level. So if you see crowds on one level, go to the other level. It’s easy to take escalators or elevators between the levels at each terminal. That’s the best advice I can give right now on minimizing traffic at LAX.

Or go to another airport like LGB if that’s an option for you.

Are you looking forward to the opening of the LAX Metro Transit Center?

Suggested reading:

• Review: Delta Sky Club LAX (One of the Best in the System)
• One of the Best Lounges: Qantas First Class Lounge LAX
• Review: AA Flagship Lounge LAX