A long-discussed plan to build an aerial gondola to transport passengers from Union Station to Dodger Stadium heads to its first public vote on Thursday, and the mayor and other local leaders have finally weighed in on what it will take for this project to happen. works.
Mayor Karen Bass and her allies on the Metro board over the weekend unveiled a list of 31 conditions for approving the privately funded project, which was first proposed by former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt and is now overseen by a nonprofit called Zero Emissions Transit.
The conditions are broad and include requirements that the project not “seek or benefit” from public funds from the local government, that proponents obtain financial reserves in case the gondola fails, and that they work with the community to develop a plan to build more affordable buildings. housing and financial support for small businesses in Chinatown that could be affected by the construction and operation of the gondola. Zero Emissions Transit would also have to pay for a permanent expansion of the Dodger Stadium Express shuttle bus program, effectively requiring the organization to fund a competitive transportation option.
The most ambitious piece is a commitment that at least 25% of any future development of the parking lots surrounding the stadium, which McCourt co-owns with the Dodgers, be dedicated to affordable housing. Critics of the project suspect that the gondola is just a first step toward the eventual development of the stadium's parking lots. That may be true, but any other development would require its own separate approval process.
The vote scheduled for Thursday is only the first in a series of approvals the gondola will need to be built, so conditions may evolve. But it's encouraging that local officials seem open to a new transportation option while insisting on negotiating a better deal for the neighborhoods around the gondola and for the entire city.
Proponents of the project say the 1.2-mile aerial gondola would make the trip from Union Station to the stadium in about seven minutes, with a stop in Chinatown, and would offer free rides to sports fans while easing congestion. traffic and emissions. They want to have the system up and running by the time the city hosts the 2028 Summer Olympics, and insist the $500 million project will be built with private money, including funding from bonds, sponsorships and tourist fees.
But some of those promises are just that, and it is appropriate to demand real guarantees that ensure that, if this project is approved, it will truly benefit the community and not absorb public money for private benefit. Still, local leaders should be careful not to overload the project with so many requirements that the gondola never gets a chance to take off.
It's a shame that a city the size and stature of Los Angeles still lacks fast, reliable public transportation to one of the best ballparks in the country. While an aerial gondola in 2028 may not be the solution, simply expanding the existing Dodger Stadium Express shuttle bus, as some have proposed, will not be enough either. Los Angeles' transportation infrastructure is so poor that leaders and residents must be open to creative ideas.
We sympathize with some of the criticism expressed by Councilwoman Eunisses Hernández, who represents the area, and the residents who would have large gondola cabins passing over their neighborhood every 23 seconds and live in the shadow of their enormous support structures. We are also concerned that some of these conditions may be difficult to apply and contain loopholes that could be exploited in the future. But those are reasons to strengthen them, not to block the project entirely.
Los Angeles desperately needs more transportation projects of all kinds, but has a sad history of delays and inaction on subways, light rail, bus lanes and other projects that faced opposition at the neighborhood level. The region's politicians too often back down in the face of any opposition, sacrificing valuable projects with the potential to help a transit-starved region run a little better. Your job is to make sure that good projects are created that benefit everyone. When Metro board members take the gondola on Thursday, they should remember that.
