Further Developments
The proposed Dodger Stadium gondola lift has gotten one step closer to construction recently when the board of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority approved the environmental analysis for the project. However, the new approval came with an extensive list of conditions that must be met in order for the project to continue to move forward. The new conditions are meant to protect L.A. Metro from paying for cost overruns, but more importantly, the conditions are intended to provide community benefits for residents of Chinatown who will be most impacted by the effects of the new project.
New Conditions
Some of the new conditions include providing free rides for all Chinatown residents, a program providing regional bus rides to the stadium, a community development package with a specific fund for residents displaced by housing costs, stronger protections to prevent taxpayer liability, and stipulations that would require affordable housing in case the outdated Dodger Stadium parking lots are developed. County Supervisor Hilda Solis, who represents the area, stated “This project has been advertised to this board and the public as a way for improving traffic congestion. It should not be used to enrich private interests.”
What is the gondola lift?
You could be sipping on your $25 miche at Dodger Stadium with just a short ride on a gondola lift if the new project proposed by Aerial Rapid Transit (ARTT) is approved. This innovative aerial transport would take fans, staff, and park visitors from the Metro hub of Union Station to Dodger Stadium in just 7 minutes using zero-emission technology—so none of the traffic and none of the car fumes.
The Los Angeles Aerial Rapid Transit project (LA ART) would have the potential to carry 5,500 people per hour in one direction which could fill up the stadium with over 10,000 fans two hours ahead of the game, LA ART stated.
Apart from that, the project would potentially reduce congestion on the 110 freeway while connecting El Pueblo, Union Station, Chinatown, Mission Junction, and Solano Canyon communities. It would also create access to the Los Angeles State Historic Park, the Los Angeles River, and Elysian Park. According to a spokesperson for LA Aerial Rapid Transit, Jennifer Rivera, the gondola system would take 3,000 cars off the road before and after every Dodger game.
Each cabin would be able to accommodate cyclists, strollers, and wheelchairs while offering both seated and standing options. Metro will oversee the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) under the California Environmental Quality Act to support further review of the project. The gondola system could eliminate 3,000 cars nearby roadways during each game and would cost less than parking at the stadium, an LA ART representative said in a meeting.
“This gondola is about more than an easier trip to Dodger games. It will make our stadium more accessible to everyone, bring cleaner air to our communities and provide an economic boost for our local businesses,” said former Mayor Eric Garcetti.
The Dodgers are also in support of the concept as a way of providing a permanent, safe and sustainable means of transport. However, the plans for the gondola lift have received pushback from locals, especially from Chinatown residents, noting concerns over cost, traffic, and lack of public input. If plans go ahead, construction could begin in 2025, making it operational just in time for the 2028 Summer Olympics.