Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti broke ground last week on the Consolidated Rent-A-Car (Conrac) facility at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), which will centralize rental car operations into one convenient location and offer a direct connection to the upcoming Automated People Mover (APM) train.

“Our city is doing so much more than building a parking structure — we are making an investment that will improve the traveling experience, reduce congestion in surrounding neighborhoods, and create middle-class careers for years to come,” Garcetti said.

Construction of the Conrac is expected to create more than 1,000 jobs. The 5.3 million-square-foot Conrac facility will feature 18,000 parking stalls with 6,600 ready/return spaces, 10,000 idle vehicle storage spaces, and 1,100 rental car employee spaces as well as visitor parking. A Quick-Turn Around facility will also be on-site, allowing for fueling, washing, and light maintenance of rental car vehicles.

Reducing congestion at LAX — as well as in surrounding communities — is at the heart of the project.

The consolidated facility will completely remove rental car shuttle traffic from the Central Terminal Area (CTA), which equates to 3,200 shuttle trips per day. The removal of the shuttles will improve traffic on the roadways and free up critical curbside boarding space in the CTA. 

As the second largest rental car market among domestic airports, the Conrac will improve and streamline the car rental process at LAX. The facility will be built to accommodate new and emerging vehicle types such as autonomous vehicles.

Additionally, movable concrete barriers will allow for the quick reallocation of space as rental car companies’ market shares shift. The Conrac is an important component of the Landside Access Modernization Program (LAMP), which also includes an AMP train that will connect travelers directly to airport terminals and create new and convenient locations for passenger pick-up and drop-off outside the CTA.

The mayor was joined at the ceremony by Councilmembers Mike Bonin and Joe Buscaino, Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, Board of Airport Commissioners (BOAC) President Sean Burton, and Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) CEO Deborah Flint, as well as community and labor leaders. 

Once completed in 2023, the APM will connect with L.A. Metro's light rail system.