Congestion Tipping Point: Uber and Lyft Banned from LAX

Automobile traffic to LAX has increased by half in the last decade, and congestion has passed a tipping point.

2 minute read

October 7, 2019, 10:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Arrivals and Departures

sc_images / Shutterstock

Anyone who has ever dropped off a friend at the Los Angeles International Airport or stepped onto the curb at the arrivals level to wait for a Flyaway (ok, I am talking about myself here) knows the airport's capacity for surpassing the worst nightmares of congestion. A plan to ban ride-hailing companies like Lyft and Uber from making curbside pickups is intended to lesson congestion and free-up road space for more efficient modes of transportation.

Laura J. Nelson and Alex Wigglesworth report on the big changes coming to LAX, as announced by Los Angeles World Airports (the airport authority for the city of Los Angeles) officials on Friday last week.

Starting at the end of October, travelers leaving LAX will be required to board a shuttle or walk to a waiting area east of Terminal 1 to hail an Uber, Lyft or taxi. Drop-off policies, and pickups for family and friends, will not change.

The plan will remain in place until the completion of an elevated airport train, scheduled for 2023. The people-mover will arrive every two minutes and will whisk passengers between the terminals, a car rental facility, a ground transportation hub and a Metro station.

According to the article, Uber and Lyft account for about 27 percent of the 100,000 car trips at LAX in an average day. Blocking the ride-hailing companies from picking up passengers curbside is expected to benefit every other kind of transportation coming in and out of the airport, which have been struggling as car trips to the airport have exploded.

"Meanwhile, ridership plummeted on high-occupancy buses and shuttles, data show. Trips on LAX’s FlyAway buses fell by two-thirds, as did rides on shared vans such as SuperShuttle and Prime Time. Courtesy shuttles to car rental facilities, parking lots and hotels saw a 20% decline," according to the article.

The airport won't just ban ride-hailing pickups and hope for the best: the plan also includes changes to the street design at the arrivals level, where curbside lanes will be converted to bus-only lanes.

Monday, October 7, 2019 in Los Angeles Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight