I'm Nick Andert, a documentary producer and editor. This channel is for personal projects, mostly having to do with the LA Metro or local politics, but with a smattering of recut trailers from the old days. Updates are sporadic, but hopefully worthwhile.
Not a California resident, just visited several times As an outsider, Ontario Int'l Airport is pretty unlucky with naming. Ontario makes people think of Toronto, San Bernardino is used, "Los Angeles" is used by LAX. Perhaps calling it after some famous person is the best way to go
We need to just ban all private cars from the current pickup/dropoff loop. It doesn't work any more. Make any dropoff when you first enter the airport property and just have shuttles and busses going to the terminals. Add a big security-side skybridge walkway going to a hub 'n spokes in the middle of the terminals so you can just travelator your way between terminals across the middle, going above the level the busses drive on. Dig out a DIA-style underground light rail shuttle for an easy path to "remote" terminals and you stop needing to worry about busses and stuff. So much of this work is just working around the fact that getting around and in and out of the airport is super hard. If you can just check in in terminal one and take the DIA style internal light rail shuttle to your flight, a lot of the problems they are trying to solve stop existing.
The two stations on BL West to Vegas... seem out of place now but being the other side of the mountains, they will enable the construction of housing that is Affordable for those who work in the SoCAL Bowl. Expect to see two new urban conurbations... that are both Train Centred. This is the same for CAL HSR... Merced etc... one of the stations is away from old central business district. It is so they can build a New CBD centred on the station with buses, trams, etc. Think Long Term of 20 to 40 years as there is NO Where in the SoCAL Bowl to construct another 10 million plus housing units. Mountains are in the way.
Wow, what an incredible update, thank you! While I don't like traveling to the mainland anymore and haven't for 2 decades ... last month I had to fly in on Hawaiian Air arriving 1 am and was shocked that I had to walk up and down an ENDLESS maize of floors for 35 freaking minutes to get to ground transportation!!! So I found your video still wondering why is LAX such an insane airport??? I could not believe that there was not any way to connect to ground transport from International (that Hawaiian uses) directly out of that remote lost in space terminal ... I felt trapped and thought I must be lost in a surreal sci-fi movie like Lost! Anyways, so happy to see these plans ... because frankly I would rather fly into SAN and rent a car than ever fly into LAX again! Again, thank you!
I would not say never I believe that unless a new form of transportation gets traction LAX will grow London has half the run ways so capacity can grow… I wish they’d shift to 4 or 5 north to south con courses replacing all existing terminals and one massive ATL style drop off and baggage terminal Love your infrastructure mock ups
OCTA is still working on completing the light rail in Santa Ana. Id love to see that link to a Metro light rail and give way more frequency into LA outside of Metrolink or Amtrak service. If you look at the transit map of OC, its clearly divided by the 55 Fwy. Lots of service missing down there that has been taken away over the years. Historically bus service was good and the system got best nationally in 2008.
You could just call it the Pomona Valley Airport. Pomona sounds LA enough. Valley really adds that extra little bit of Cali to it, and helps distinguish it from Panama. Plus it sticks with the small-city theme, and you don't have to mix it up with some other bum nowhere airport like Imperial County.
I literally grew up at ONT from the 70s to 90s. My dad was part of the original joint police/fire operation controlled by LAX. I used to travel regularly from ONT to wherever I needed to go (I grew up in Ontario and went to college at Redlands) using its original tiny terminal on the west end. I now live in Sacramento and it's really unfortunate that the terrible traffic in SoCal makes Long Beach and Burbank my current choices. Burbank actually provides a compelling example of what's possible, almost by accident. I land at the airport, walk across the street, grab a 20-minute train for about $7, and I'm in downtown LA's central rain terminal. Contrary to popular belief, I can literally get all over LA without car using this strategy. ONT is still suffering from the underutilization and mistreatment under its LAX ownership, and the parochial disrespect of the Inland Empire as a vast wasteland east of LA. Its potential has also been exacerbated by the foolish decision (in my opinion) of California's HSR project to emphasize a connection between LA and San Francisco, something nobody needs, rather than Las Vegas, San Diego, LA and Sacramento, the areas with the most projected need for housing and economic activity involving physical goods. Your video really demonstrates something I was corrected on early in my government career - letting reason and logic creep into your decision making. A funny example of this is the way ONT's second runway was built - LAX said no, and the ONT folks simply ignored them and built it guerrilla-style without any permission. I have no idea how they pulled it off but my dad was quite proud...he and fellow firefighters were out there pouring concrete themselves, LOL.
One thing I do love about LAX is how friendly it is to motorcyclists. I ride out from my home in pasadena 50 min before take off. I get there in 25 min with or without traffic. I can park right in the front of the nearest parking lot for free, and I just walk into the terminal. No other SoCal airports can support this.
I think the better investment is to double track the Alhambra subdivision and to improve regional service on this line so that you can get between 2 and 4 tph at peak times to Ontario Airport, including a new station at the airport. Also, for the El Monte Busway, see this map: www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=10hRPJBAekaKvyDo0jBQrVmJUI928psaF&ll=34.09199547623966%2C-117.95711221381441&z=12 you can see that there used to be an alignment that provided a direct route between Rancho Cucamonga and Union Station.
High Speed Rail may not ever materialize so I'm not sure why they're being serious about it. I used to fly to SNA from No. California but LGB is my favorite. Much easier to access it via freeway. O.C. always seems to be a traffic jam. It's great that Southwest started using LGB as well as Hawaiian. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Love this ! Very true as I prefer to fly out of ONT for the past 20 years. LAX is the worst IMO and would love to have more flights originate to/from ONT.
I'm from the IE and Los Angeles Imperial Airport would be confusing to me. Los Angeles - Inland Empire International Aiport doesn't have a ring to it but describes it clearly.
Ive lived in the IE all of my life. Renaming ONT and adding LA back into the name should be illegal, but I understand the argument. I don’t understand why Imperial should be on there. I would argue “Los Angeles Inland Empire” would be the better name
I believe the reason Ontario airport hasn’t gotten any bigger is because all planes bound to LAX are constantly flying 10,000ft above that airport. All planes coming from the east coast use that route and putting more planes in that airspace will be a challenge. Idk that’s just my opinion
Metro should consider says goodbye to tap cards and hello apps. It's about the future now it's about time Metro shake things up once and for all and only essentials allowed to ride the bus and trolley rails will requires apps only to avoid the homeless and the thugs taking over are public trans🙎!
dang, impressive amount of research and knowledge in these videos! food for thought: To me to have an airport like BUR in the middle of a major metro region seems untenable for many reasons (and a disaster waiting to happen). So what if BUR becomes a satellite terminal of PDM with a dedicated high speed / mag lev/ hyperlink connection to PDM for screened passengers. Most of the BUR land could be redeveloped into a dense urban center, as it has already rail and road connectivity and the issues that come with an active airport like that (noise, pollution, congestion) would be moved to a much less densely populated area. If the current high speed rail plans can make the connection to PDM in 17 mins, I am sure a dedicated high speed connection with improved technology could to this in under 10 mins. On top of it it could be a showcase for new high speed tech (like the Shangai maglev train).
Kinda biased. LAX serves a lot more than that, obviously, all the way into Downtown and Hollywood, as well as Pasadena and East LA and deep into the South Bay and a lot into the Valley since Burbank doesn't handle big international flights at all, nor does LBC. I doubt many would use Ontario even if they are in Pasadena. Ontario would literally have to DOUBLE its service to more international destinations. It may have the land footprint to expand a little, but its flight paths out of there is very limiting. Can't fly Westwards too much with the bigger planes there, so that is a huge problem. And unless Brightline can somehow connect it into Ontario with a station at the airport, that train is totally inconvenient for a Vegas connection, as is the Metrolink that doesn't really serve much into LA enough. Keep dreaming though! LMAO
You are delusional if you think that high speed rail is carbon neutral and if it will ever be completed let alone the fact that no one wants it or will ride it
It will never have Los Angeles in it after La screwed Ontario and San Bernardino out of millions with their control of the Ontario airport ! Why not do research on how LA pushed everyone to fly out of LA instead of Ontario also a transit link to the Rancho Line which will connect to the new Las Vegas high Speed line.
My father works on LAX and managing the projects for the terminals constructions. Ita fascinating seeing all the opinions on some of his work. Great video.
SoCal International, San Gabriel International (named after the mountains), Angeles Metro International. Bernardino Valley International. Keep the 'international' in it, is what I'm saying. There are historical names that could be used, whether native, Spanish, or American; but that's always sensitive.
