STV, alongside our clients and partners, is celebrating the recent opening of Los Angeles Metro’s LAX/Metro Transit Center Station at Aviation Blvd. and 96th St. – a pivotal milestone in the effort to modernize transit access to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
The $900 million project now serves as the terminus for Metro’s C and K Lines, replacing the former Aviation/LAX station. This state-of-the-art, multimodal transit facility provides streamlined access to LAX via a 16-bay bus plaza, a bike hub, and a shuttle system to LAX terminals operated by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA). Additionally, the new station significantly improves passenger access to LAX and creates a modern, efficient transit hub for one of the country’s busiest metropolitan regions. In 2026, it will directly link to the LAX Automated People Mover (APM), creating a seamless air-to-rail experience for travelers.
STV played a meaningful role in the early planning and development of this transformative project. As part of the Connect LAX joint venture, STV co-led the planning and conceptual design effort and helped facilitate an interagency consultation framework that ultimately led to the integration of the LAX/Metro Transit Center Station with LAX’s Consolidated Rental Car facility and APM at 96th Street.
“This is a crucial moment for transit in Los Angeles and we’re proud to have contributed to advancing the Transit Center through many of the early stages of the project development process,” said Tyler Bonstead, vice president and planning lead at STV. “This was a complex but satisfying program, and it was great to get to work closely with Metro and Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) to define a seamless connection to LAX and create a solution to the region’s transit needs.”
The planning process for the station and airport connection began over a decade ago. STV conducted several alternative analyses, prepared California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documentation and provided public engagement and national and international benchmarking services in support of airport transit models that helped determine the most effective solution for connecting Los Angeles’s rail system to LAX. The selected solution– the new station at 96th Street east of the airport– emerged as the preferred LAX connection concept among several options.
In addition to its work on the Transit Center station, STV also contributed early planning and procurement services for the LAX People Mover project, supporting the development of its innovative public-private partnership structure. With direct access to airport shuttles already in place, the station is poised to become a fully integrated part of the region’s air-to-rail network once the APM comes online.
