According to Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich, Los Angeles is the only major area in the country to not have connections from their rail system to their airports.
Bob Hope Airport is now one step closer to help filling that void as they announced, along with the Metrolink Board, that a station will be built on San Fernando, west of Hollywood Way to serve the airport and fill one more void in the link.
Antelope Valley residents will now be able to take the Metrolink in 2014 to the Bob Hope Airport, where they will be shuttled to the terminal. This will be in addition to the Ventura County line that runs on the south side of the airport.
“We are getting closer to having one pass that will let riders take all forms of transportation in Los Angeles County”, according to Antonovich.
“Connecting our airports to our rail system is a top priority for the region and will increase mobility and provide faster, more seamless transit options for residents throughout Southern California,” said Antonovich who secured the funding necessary to contract the station.
“With this Bob Hope Airport Metrolink station, residents of the Santa Clarita, Antelope and North San Fernando Valleys will have convenient and economical Metrolink rail service to the national air travel and local employment opportunities available at, and around this regional airport.”
Burbank’s Assemblyman, Mike Gatto, also commented on the connectivity, making numerious triops between the capital and his district via Bob Hope, “This makes life a little more convenient and takes cars off the street. It helps make the traffic and hassle a little bit easier”.
This is just another part of the airports plan for the future. Construction is already underway for the Regional Intermodal Transportation Center. While a final plan has yet to be adopted, airport officials are also trying to get California’s High Speed Rail to stop at the airport, truly making it assessable to all forms of transportation.
As Burbank Airport Commissioner Sue Georgino put it, “Transportation is a key element in the success of the airport”.
