Bob Hope Airport  is poised to become the first in the Los Angeles region to connect directly to a rail station platform, but it's still a few years from reality, says airport spokesman Victor Gill.

The first phase of the airport's new $112 million transportation center is set to open July 15. An elevated moving walkway will connect  the air terminals to a new rental car center at the airport. The walkway reaches to within about 75 feet of Empire Avenue and the Amtrak and Metrolink train platform.

The Burbank airport has been authorized to use $3.5 million in Metro funds for design work for a bridge that would cross Empire Avenue to the Amtrak platform.

The new transportation center will also house a bus station and bike storage areas.  The walkway and rental counters  open July 15.

It's got a bonus function: the new parking structure is built to survive a major earthquake and be used afterward as a shelter and headquarters for emergency services. At $112 million, it's the largest construction project in the airport's history.