After decades of delays, funding shortfalls and missed opportunities between an alphabet soup of government agencies – LAX, LAWA, FAA, MTA, LACBOS* – the Green Line has never been extended in Los Angeles International Airport but rather leaves passengers, airport workers and commuters stranded about a mile away from the terminals. Even the most recent version of the Los Angeles Airport Master Plan called for extending the Green Line, but there seems little progress to date.

Now, a state bill to create a light-rail transportation authority and fast-track the Green Line passed the Senate Transportation Committee. Senate Bill 1722, sponsored by State Senator Jenny Oropeza (D-Long Beach) seeks to create the Metro Green Line Transportation Authority which will oversee the completion of this light-rail extension into the airport.

 “This is a common-sense first step toward completing a vital link in Southern California’s mass-transit network,” said Sen. Oropeza in a written statement. “Having this link into LAX would provide greater convenience for travelers and reduce congestion. It also would give local hotel and airport employees a friendlier commute. This reduction in congestion would obviously help ease air pollution.”

* Know your acronyms!