With the 2028 Olympics quickly approaching, Los Angeles is racing to untangle one of its most notorious choke points, the traffic nightmare at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The upcoming influx of visitors is expected to drive in millions of tourists. Improvements to traffic around LAX form one of the most costly infrastructure efforts in the region—yet whether they will fix congestion is still debatable. Los Angeles World Airports and city officials have approved a $1.5 billion roadway reconfiguration designed to streamline access and reduce backups on surface streets like Sepulveda Blvd, one of the most heavily congested hotspots near LAX.
The plan is part of LAX’s broader $30 billion modernization program, which covers the modernization of existing terminals, demolition and rebuilding of older ones, expansion of gates and runways, and massive investments in ground access and circulation. Significant pieces for this project include the Automated People Mover (APM), a new state-of-the-art Consolidated Rent-a-Car (ConRAC) facility, intermodal transit hubs, and major roadway reconfigurations.
At the center of the traffic debate is the APM, a 2.25-mile-long electric train that will connect the Central Terminal Area (CTA) with parking, rental cars, and the newly added $900 million LAX/Metro Transit Center Station. Due to the driverless transit option, it could remove thousands of vehicles from the CTA horseshoe loop and Sepulveda Blvd, both private vehicles and rideshare and shuttle buses.
Yet even after all these investments and constructions, there’s a good reason to believe that the infamous horseshoe and surrounding streets will still be truly congested on a regular basis. Traffic in and out of LAX is not just a design flaw but a symptom of the airport’s location, the sheer amount of people using it daily, and Angelenos’ deep car dependency. Millions of travelers continue to drive themselves because it feels more familiar, convenient, and faster than public transit, which remains limited for many Angelenos. The billions spent on road and transit upgrades only provide temporary relief rather than a lasting solution. Unless a significant portion of traveler behavior changes, LAX will still experience backups, especially during peak travel periods or major events like the FIFA 26 World Cup and the Olympics.
Encouraging travelers to take the APM or public transportation may sound simple on paper but the flexibility and comfort of taking their own car makes it a more appealing choice for travelers. Real change would require faster, non-costly, and free transportation for all near the Los Angeles area. The expansion of Metro Rails needs to improve and not just increasing the distance from the city to suburban areas. Congestion will remain a part of the airport experience regardless of how much money is spent on its modernization. The investments may represent progress on paper, but the reality is that Angelenos’ affair with cars ensures that traffic headaches are likely to stay.
