An Orange County grand jury report is calling on cities and transit agencies to take a serious look at direct public transportation service from Orange County to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) — a connection that millions of county residents need but currently don’t have.
Orange County residents take roughly 9.9 million trips out of LAX every year, according to the report. That works out to about three trips per resident annually, making Orange County travelers responsible for about 13% of all LAX passengers. Despite those numbers, only about 1% of LAX passengers use public transit to get to the airport.
The grand jury analyzed 10 different transportation options, ranging from personal vehicles and ride-hailing services to combinations of Metrolink, Amtrak, L.A. Metro rail, and shuttle buses. It found that cheaper options — like Metrolink combined with L.A. Metro light-rail — often involved the longest travel times and as many as four transfers, while faster private car services came with steep price tags.
Getting to and from LAX without a car isn’t cheap. A private shuttle for a family runs about $218 round trip, while ride-share and taxi services can top $260. Long-term parking, meanwhile, can cost nearly $370 for an extended trip.
One of the biggest obstacles to a direct bus route is federal law. As reported by the Orange County Register, the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) is legally restricted from operating a direct bus to LAX because federal Charter Service Restrictions prohibit transit agencies that receive Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funding from running service that competes with private companies like charter buses and shuttle services.
“The report correctly notes that federal law limits transit agencies that receive FTA funding from operating service to a single destination such as LAX,” OCTA spokesman Eric Carpenter said. “Any change to those restrictions would require federal action, not local policy changes.”
The report pointed to a past attempt at direct service as a cautionary tale. Between 2009 and 2012, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) operated a FlyAway bus route directly from the Irvine Transportation Center to LAX. The trip took about an hour — but the route averaged only 48 passengers per day, ran just six trips daily, charged $25 per fare, and racked up an annual operating loss of more than $382,000. It was discontinued in 2012 after the operator filed for bankruptcy.
Still, the grand jury identified five locations in Orange County it considers strong candidates for future direct-to-LAX service: the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center; the Irvine Transportation Center; the Fullerton Park & Ride and Orangethorpe Transit Village; the Village at Buena Park Mall; and Bolsa Pacific at Westminster. The report suggests that service from these hubs could cut trip times to LAX by 30 minutes or more, ease traffic congestion, and lower transportation costs.
The grand jury also recommended that Metrolink expand weekend service on the Orange County line, and that OCTA and Metrolink do more to promote existing transit connections to LAX.
The timing of the report carries added urgency. OCTA is already working with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority to plan transit service for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games — two events expected to bring massive crowds to the region and strain existing transportation networks.
Carpenter said that while OCTA will coordinate with the cities named in the report and provide technical data, any new direct shuttle routes would be LAWA’s call to make. “As the report also notes, LAWA’s previous attempt at direct shuttle service from Irvine to LAX was discontinued because of low demand,” he said.
The cities of Fullerton, Buena Park, Westminster, Anaheim, and Irvine have three months to respond to the grand jury’s recommendations.
Recent Comments