New service puts LAX one stop away

By Wendy Soderburg

It's hard to miss the bright blue buses with "FlyAway" painted in white letters on their sides, parked on Kinross Avenue between Lot 36 and Structure 32. They're part of the brand-new Westwood LAX FlyAway bus service, launched on June 14 by UCLA's Transportation Services and Los Angeles World Airports.

"Westwood is only 10 miles from LAX, but between here and the airport are thousands of logjammed cars, crawling at a snail's pace," said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa at the inaugural event. "Today we launch the Westwood FlyAway, an express bus that will give travelers a fast, convenient, reliable and inexpensive community option to get from Westwood to LAX."

LAX-bound passengers will depart from a designated FlyAway bus stop at the southwest corner of Parking Structure 32. They will then be dropped off at LAX on the Upper/Departures level in front of their terminals. To return to the campus stop, they will board the bus at the Lower/Arrivals level in front of their terminals under green signs marked "FlyAway, Buses and Long-Distance Vans." Buses will leave UCLA and LAX every 30 minutes between 5 a.m. and 1 a.m. Rides are free through June 30; beginning July 1, the one-way fare will be $4 for adults, $2 for children 2-12, and free for children under 2. For an extra fee of $5, travelers on most domestic flights may check in luggage and receive boarding passes.

Overnight parking on campus is not permitted Monday through Thursday, but bus riders may use UCLA's parking pay stations to park overnight on weekends from 3 p.m. Friday until 7 a.m. Monday in Parking Structure 32 and, beginning July 15, in Parking Lot 36. Blue and X permit holders on business trips can use the FlyAway service and garage their cars in their assigned parking structure for up to two weeks, with the exception of the Wilshire Center, where the maximum period is three days.

"Helping to reduce traffic congestion by providing alternative transportation has long been a priority for UCLA, so we're delighted to have FlyAway service on campus," said Administrative Vice Chancellor Sam Morabito, who oversees campus business functions, including Transportation Services. "Not only will it benefit UCLA students, faculty and staff traveling to LAX, it also allows the campus to serve the larger community."

Additional information is available at transportation.ucla.edu.