Tuned In to Traffic : Announcer for LAX Radio Helps Steer Motorists to Airport

When harried motorists converge on Los Angeles International Airport the day before Thanksgiving, Bill Jackson of Airport Radio 530 AM will be a beacon.

Cutting through the din of blaring horns, his sonorous voice will comfort the panicked gentleman who does not know where his airline is located. It will soothe the woman who wants to know if Century Boulevard is jammed. And it will probably annoy the back-seat teen-ager, who could care less, but, well, mom and dad have a plane to catch.

Jackson’s timely updates on airport traffic and parking Wednesday could mean the difference between a turkey dinner with the family and a long night in the airport terminal. Using sweeping views of the surrounding streets from a camera atop the LAX control tower, Jackson will make up-to-the-minute recordings warning listeners to avoid a clogged street or a full parking lot.

“It gets a little hectic sometimes around Thanksgiving, but I don’t get into a panic situation,” said Jackson, an aspiring actor who has been the voice of airport radio since 1978.

Over the five-day holiday, officials expect about 700,000 passengers to use the airport, which will translate into an estimated 77,800 car trips per day into the facility.

Jackson’s mettle is rarely tested so severely throughout the rest of the year. Most days, things are not so terribly busy at 530 AM, when traffic flow falls off to a normal 59,640 car trips per day. Jackson, who is reporter, editor and broadcaster, records a taped message about traffic, parking and airline locations, which replays every four minutes. During very slow periods, Jackson may go several days without altering his prerecorded message.

“The concept around here is repeat, repeat, repeat,” Jackson said.

The brainchild of Airport Director Clifton Moore, the radio station began broadcasting 20 years ago this month. Its primary function is to improve traffic flow around the often-congested streets near the nation’s third-busiest airport. Motorists can pick up the transmission within a two-mile radius of the airport.

“We have to get information to someone who is driving 55 m.p.h., changing lanes, and talking to Aunt Betty in the back seat,” said Karl Rach, who oversees radio operations for the Department of Airports. “They just want quick and clear information.”

Still, for a station that lacks music, an advertising budget or an on-air broadcaster, the station has racked up some impressive ratings. An airport survey two years ago showed 530 AM attracts about 4 million listeners annually.

“Any station that could get an Arbitron rating that reflected those numbers would certainly be in an enviable position. But when you realize maybe every one of those 3 or 4 million people is only listening to us for about 10 minutes out of the year, it does make a difference,” Jackson said.

In addition to holidays, airport emergencies can also have Jackson scrambling to rework his tapes to LAX-bound drivers. He remembers having to suddenly leave a haircut appointment in Hollywood after a USAir jet collided with a small plane in 1990. Traffic backed up so severely that Jackson had to abandon his camera and survey the situation himself.

“The tension part was trying to keep everything up to date as far as what roads were open,” Jackson said. “The hard part was having to go out there and get the information and then not being able to get back in (the airport) because traffic was so heavy.”

Most of the time, he has little problem keeping his reports up-to-date.

This summer, Jackson learned that the airport’s upper-level roadway for departing travelers was consistently congested on Saturday mornings. Jackson instructed listeners to allow departing passengers to use the airport’s lower arrival level, which was virtually empty. His broadcast seemed to help.

Jackson is likely to get more opportunities to aid travelers when the Century Freeway opens in 1994. Airport officials may boost the station’s signal so it can reach more drivers on the new freeway, which will feed into Imperial Highway adjacent to the airport. If the plans proceed, airport officials say the station’s channel may have to be relocated on the radio dial.

Although Jackson has no plans to leave, his aspirations lie beyond the walls of his LAX broadcast center. The 59-year-old Hollywood resident moonlights as an actor and has landed minor roles in many television shows, including “Cheers,” “Love Boat” and “Dallas.”

Until his breakthrough role comes through, Jackson will keep his day job.

“If I knew there were people listening to me that were paying attention to what I was telling them, and that I saved them time, frustration and effort, I guess I would feel pretty good about that kind of thing,” Jackson said.

A Holiday Survival Guide to LAX

Over the five-day holiday weekend, an estimated 700,000 people are expected to pass through Los Angeles International Airport. That is nearly equal to the population of San Francisco. Here are some tips to navigate through this flood of passengers:

AVOID DRIVING: For central directory of airport shuttles from your area call (800) 310-5465.Airport officials urge travelers to arrive at least two hours before domestic flights and three hours before an international flight.

IF YOU DO DRIVE: Stay tuned to Airport Radio 530 AM for latest parking and traffic. There are only two ways for the public to enter the terminal area: 96th Street and Century Boulevard.

THE EXITS: Traveling southbound on 405 Freeway, exit options are: 1) Centinela Ave. to Sepulveda Blvd. to W. 96th St. 2) La Tijera Blvd. to Sepulveda Blvd. to W. 96th St. 3) Manchester Ave. to La Tijera Blvd. to Sepulveda Blvd. to W. 96th St. Traveling northbound on 405 Freeway, exit options are: 1) Century Blvd. into airport. 2) El Segundo Blvd. to Aviation Blvd. to Century Blvd. OR to Sepulveda Blvd. to W. 96th St. 3) Imperial Highway to Aviation Blvd. to Century Blvd. OR Sepulveda Blvd to W. 96th St.

PUBLIC PARKING: General Information about airport parking, remote parking, ground transportation services and airline locations call (310) 646-5252. In 818 area code, dial AIR-PORT. For the past two years, remote airport parking has not been filled to capacity.

MOST EXPENSIVE: Central Terminal Lots 1 to 7: $3 the first two hours and $1 each additional hour, $16 maximum for each 24 hours. Metered parking available on arrival level opposite Terminals 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7. 25 cents per 15 minutes, two hours maximum. CHEAPER LOTS: Lot B (111th Street and La Cienega Boulevard): No charge for initial two hours, $1 for each additional two hours, $5 for each 24 hours. Includes transportation between terminals and Lot B. Take shuttle marked “B-Airport Parking, 111th Street.” Lot C (96th Street and Sepulveda): No charge for initial two hours, $1 for each additional two hours, $7 for each 24 hours. Includes transportation between terminals and Lot C. Take shuttle marked “C-Airport Parking, 96th Street.” Imperial Terminal (6661 W. Imperial Highway): $1 for each hour, $6 each 24 hours. Includes transportation between terminals and Imperial Terminal lot. Take shuttle marked “Imperial Terminal.” Source: Department of Airports