I took the dare and rode mass transit to LAX. It took 3 hours but was not all bad
Your morning catch-up: What we found after riding public transit to LAX, rain and possible thunderstorms break SoCal heat streak and more big stories
- Share via
Two weeks back, Essential California readers challenged yours truly to utilize public transportation to Los Angeles International Airport.
That came after I tested public transit from the Los Angeles Times office in El Segundo to Terminal 1. Readers thought that was too easy and dared me to try something more difficult.
One reader suggested I “test this while carrying/carting two large 50kg suitcases, a carry-on or backpack, and a small personal item.” Another respondent said it was “fine for a distance of just under 4 miles, what about travelers who are further from the airport?”
Challenge accepted: I tested two routes, one from Fullerton (33 miles) and one from Riverside (68 miles) while hauling a 20-pound carry-on suitcase along with my 15-pound travel briefcase.
How much time did it take to reach LAX? What were the costs, setbacks and successes?
Planning my route
Before embarking, I consulted the Metro trip planner, which took me to Google Maps. L.A. Metro plans to launch its own app soon, though its website boasts all sorts of travel routes, such as using the Metro 460 bus as part of a route from Disneyland to LAX.
Trip #1
Route: Fullerton Metrolink/Amtrak to LAX Terminal 1
Cost: $21.25
Time: 3 hours, 1 minute
On March 25, I set out to ride the Metrolink commuter train to Union Station and then the FlyAway bus to LAX Terminal 1. Google Maps said I should arrive at 1:33 p.m. Lyft estimated a $55.94 cost and would have put me at Terminal 1 at 12:32 p.m.
My train was supposed to depart at 11:55 a.m. but was delayed 56 minutes due to stranded freight on the tracks between Fullerton and Corona.
The trip’s saving grace was its price, an $8.50 one-way fare to Union Station. Seating was also fine for a carry-on bag and a briefcase, but a larger 50-pound checked bag would have been a problem.
The delay put me at Union Station at 1:22 p.m. and, after a brief restroom break, I missed the 1:30 p.m. FlyAway bus and waited until 2 p.m.
The $12.75 bus offered plenty of space, and I reached Terminal 1 at 2:31 p.m., an impressive 31-minute jaunt considering that freeway traffic along the route was packed.
My public-transit trip was two hours longer than a ride-hail drive. It saved me $34.69.
Trip #2
Route: Riverside Metrolink to LAX Terminal 1
Cost: $13.50
Time: 2 hours, 55 minutes
This trip was a bit trickier: Google Maps suggested taking the Metrolink to the Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs station, then jumping on the Norwalk bus to the Norwalk Metro C Line station, which I’d take to the LAX Metro Transit Center to Terminal 1.
My Metrolink left at 11:03 a.m. for an hour-or-so ride to Norwalk. The train offered plenty of space to accommodate even two checked bags.
My train arrived at Norwalk at 12:10 p.m., where the real fun began.
Based on Metro’s trip planner recommendation, I walked a quarter of a mile to a connecting bus stop at Imperial Highway and Bloomfield Avenue and rode it to the Norwalk C Line station. No, there is no shuttle between the stations. Imagine lugging two pieces of packed luggage through city streets.
A 38-minute ride landed me at the LAX Transit Center, future home of Skylink, whose completion date has been pushed back more than once. I waited briefly for a free connector bus and was dropped off at Terminal 1 at 1:45 p.m.
Here’s the cost breakdown: $11.75 for the Metrolink ticket, $1.25 for the bus to Norwalk’s C-Line, 50 cents for a transfer to the C Line, for a grand total of $13.50.
In comparison, a Lyft ride would have cost me $101 but would have put me at Terminal 1 at 12:26 p.m. — an hour and 19 minutes sooner than with public transit.
They say “time is money.” Is an extra hour and 19 minutes of your time worth $87.50?
Final thoughts: General hostility
It’s easy to see how cumbersome and unfriendly public transportation can be, even when it works.
You need two forms of payment — one for Metro and another for Metrolink — and, on these trips, there were signs of dysfunction all around.
None of the dozens of electrical outlets I tried on my Metrolink train car (601-A) worked, the restroom was out of order on that train, and the Norwalk/Santa Fe Station had no public stalls.
The adjacent Norwalk Public Services building even posted warnings to riders in giant lettering that there were “no public restrooms.” A security guard told me to visit Chick-fil-A.
Although I was appreciative that the Metro C Line station boasted a Throne Labs toilet, I was thankful I wasn’t carrying heavy baggage since the elevator was broken.
I want to love public transportation, but it’s difficult.
The week’s biggest stories
L.A. mayor’s race
- In the L.A. mayor’s race, everyone is campaigning on change — even the incumbent.
- Mayor Karen Bass is running as a champion of change while City Councilmember Nithya Raman is portraying herself as someone who pushed back against the system.
Trump’s losses across courts
- Federal judges said the Trump administration had overreached and lacked the authority to carry out some of its goals.
- “It was an awful week for Donald Trump,” said one constitutional law expert.
L.A. mayor’s $300-million homeless program
- The longer Inside Safe exists, the greater the share of participants who have returned to “unsheltered” homelessness, according to a Times analysis.
- Despite the setbacks, Mayor Bass has credited the program with producing a 17.5% reduction in street homelessness.
What else is going on
- Coachella from the archives: Here’s a visual journey from desert experiment to global spectacle.
- UCLA crushed South Carolina to win the NCAA women’s basketball national championship.
- Rain and possible thunderstorms will break SoCal heat streak this week, forecasters say.
- A billionaire candidate for California governor is catching heat for past business interests and wealth.
- President Trump endorsed conservative commentator Steve Hilton in the California governor’s race.
Commentary and opinions
- “A really good time”: Columnist Bill Shaikin writes about how the Dodgers spent the first few hours after winning the World Series.
- Bruising Bruins dominate South Carolina and bring another NCAA national title to Westwood, writes columnist Bill Plaschke.
- Pam Bondi and Kristi Noem were incompetent. But that’s not the only reason they’re gone, argues columnist Anita Chabria.
- Trump’s cries of cheating on mail-in ballots defy logic, argues columnist George Skelton.
This morning’s must read
Javier Hernandez was ready to testify against two other men involved in a Southern California meth trafficking operation. But six months before trial, ICE deported him without notifying federal prosecutors.
For your downtime
Going out
- Massages: Do your eyes hurt reading this headline? An “Eyeball Care” massage can help.
- Dining: Las Vegas’ most exciting new opening is a seafood restaurant from Mexico City.
Staying in
- Television: Jack Black joined the “SNL” Five-Timers Club with help from Jonah Hill and Melissa McCarthy.
- Recipe: Here’s a recipe for buffalo corn with bacon and egg.
- ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and jigsaw games.
And finally ... your photo of the day
Today’s great photo is from the Friends of Big Bear Valley at the nest of bald eagles Jackie and Shadow, who welcomed a pair of eaglets over Easter weekend.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Jim Rainey, staff reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor, Fast Break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew J. Campa, weekend writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com. Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com.
More From the Los Angeles Times
Podcasts
It’s been 16 months since the Palisades and Fires destroyed two historic communities in L.A. and the path forward, for many, is as unclear as ever.
The identity of the Zodiac Killer has remained a mystery for decades, but new developments may finally point to an answer.
Not for want of trying – cleaner power has created lots of engine experiments, most dramatically Caltech versus MIT in the great electric car race of 1968, a story you’ll hear from the winner.
