Westchester's Holiday Route to LAX Already Ends at Aviation and 96th

Who gets to say when the LAX train opens? The contractor says February 5. The mayor has said January. The airport has stopped giving a date. If you live in Westchester and have a flight around Thanksgiving or Christmas, though, you don't need that answer. The train was built to cover one short hop, and the bus routes on your own streets already reach the start of it.

Three Answers, and None of Them Comes Before Thanksgiving

The Los Angeles Times reported on Oct. 29 that LAX Integrated Express Solutions, the contractor known as LINXS, now expects the Skylink people mover to start carrying passengers on Feb. 5, 2027. In September its target had been Jan. 6. According to the Times, LINXS's monthly progress report warned that the delay "will continue to increase on a day-for-day basis" until the Department of Water and Power and Los Angeles World Airports sign agreements on solar power for the train.

The airport tells a different story. LAWA's statement to the Times said the main cause of the delay is that LINXS has not completed the required system demonstration testing. Earlier that week, Mayor Karen Bass told KNX News she expects the train to be running by January. On a fact-vs.-myth page about the project, LAWA wrote this:

"No opening date can be confirmed until LINXS, the SkyLink contractor, completes their final testing."

The testing bar is high. According to the Times, four arc blasts during September testing damaged the train's power rail and guide beam. Testing has since resumed. Before passengers can ride, the system needs 30 consecutive days without substantial issues, plus approval from the airport and an independent engineer. Even the earliest of the three answers falls after the holidays.

The Train Was Always Going to Start From Aviation and 96th

For a Westchester trip, the train's starting point matters more than its opening date. The LAX/Metro Transit Center at Aviation Boulevard and 96th Street opened on June 6, 2025, connecting the C and K lines with Metro and municipal buses. When Skylink opens, the airport says riders will take it between the terminals, the rental car and parking lots, the transit center, and a new ride-hail area.

For anyone arriving by bus or rail, the train will replace the stretch between the transit center and the terminal. Today that stretch is covered by the free Metro Connector shuttle, which runs every day from 4 a.m. to 1 a.m. and comes about every 10 minutes on average. The delay keeps the shuttle in that role. It doesn't change any part of the trip before you reach Aviation and 96th.

A Westchester trip to the terminals this season works like this:

1. Board a bus or the K Line on a Westchester corridor that ends at the LAX/Metro Transit Center.
2. Pay the regular Metro fare of $1.75 by tapping. Transfers are free within two hours, and daily fares cap at $5.
3. Take the free Metro Connector shuttle from the transit center to your terminal.

Which Westchester Streets Already Lead There

Several of the neighborhood's main streets have Metro lines that end at the transit center. The June 2026 K Line timetable lists Metro bus Lines 102, 111, 117, 120 and 232 as connections there.

Big Blue Bus calls Route 3 "the fastest way to/from LAX." Its timetable, effective Aug. 9, 2026, runs the bus every 10 minutes during many weekday periods and every 15 minutes during many weekend periods. The route drops riders at the transit center, where the free shuttle takes them to the terminals. Metro Line 115 also runs along Manchester Avenue, between Playa del Rey and Norwalk.

The Curb Stays a Work Zone Through December

Waiting for the train also means LAX's busiest season will overlap with train construction in the Central Terminal Area. LAX's Weekend CTA Roadway Bulletin dated Oct. 30, 2026 lists a Center Way lane restriction for Automated People Mover construction that runs through Wednesday, Dec. 30, and a Center Way sidewalk and stairwell closure for the same project that runs through Dec. 31.

The same bulletin lists shorter overnight jobs at Terminal 1. Curbside lane and sidewalk restrictions are scheduled on the Arrivals level from midnight to 8 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 6, and a lane restriction across from Parking Structure 1 for fiber optic work runs 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 16. These dates come from a weekly bulletin, and LAX posts a new one each week on its ground transportation page.

Getting a ride home still works the same way. Standard taxi and ride-app pickups happen at LAX-it, next to Terminal 1. You can walk there, or take the free shuttle from the green-marked stops outside baggage claim. LAX says the LAX-it shuttle runs 24/7 and arrives about every seven minutes, though times vary with airport conditions. When the train does open, LAWA says a new ride-hail lot will open with it and LAX-it will be phased out over time. For this Thanksgiving and this December, the pickup spot is LAX-it.

What Driving Costs, Set Against a $1.75 Bus Fare

If you plan to drive, the official LAX Economy Parking garage has more than 4,000 spaces. Its free shuttle runs 24 hours a day, about every 15 minutes, and stops at every terminal. The posted drive-up rates are $8 for the first hour and $7 for each additional half-hour, up to $35 per 24 hours. The parking operator advertises advance booking starting at $15 a day.

At the drive-up rate, a five-day Thanksgiving trip comes to $175. At the advertised advance-booking minimum, the same five days start at $75. Both options still end with a shuttle ride to the terminal, just like the bus. The airport's parking FAQ says holiday parking is busy and spaces are not guaranteed. On Line 102 or Line 117, the trip from Westchester to the curb costs one $1.75 Metro fare plus a free shuttle ride.

When you're home again, the Westchester Saturday Stroll is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 5, from 4 to 7 p.m. on 87th Street in the Westchester Triangle, with music, local food, shopping, art and games.

Living a few minutes from the LAX/Metro Transit Center is part of daily life in Westchester. Stacy Young tracks how changes like this one affect the neighborhood, street by street. If you'd like to know what your home is worth as the airport keeps changing around it, Request Your Free Home Valuation.