Nearly 4 million people call the city of Los Angeles home, and millions more live in the surrounding metropolitan area. Many of those residents rely on cars to get around the region on a daily basis, which has contributed to the city’s infamous traffic problems.
The Paris Olympics conclude on Sunday. Then, attention will turn to Los Angeles, the host city of the 2028 Summer Games. As the Southern California city prepares for the event, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is unveiling an ambitious plan that could help ease traffic congestion.
Bass wants to restrict vehicle access to any venue hosting a sporting event during the two-week Olympic period.
“It's a Games without cars,” Bass said Saturday.
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An LED screen displays the LA28 Olympic Games logo at the LA28 press conference on August 10, 2024, in Paris. (Luke Hales/Getty Images)
Under the plan, attendees will be required to use public transportation. Bass outlined the city's efforts to expand its public transportation system, which could allow for a car-free Olympics.
Because Los Angeles' current transportation system is considerably less robust than that of other major U.S. cities, the mayor said the city intends to borrow more than 3,000 buses from other cities across the country.
“It's a feat in Los Angeles. We've always been in love with our cars,” Bass said during a press conference in Paris. “But we're already working to make sure we can build a greener Los Angeles.”
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Bass also said that creating a strategic partnership with some of the city's largest employers will be critical to Los Angeles' ability to mitigate traffic congestion.
“The way it should work is to meet with the major employers in the city and talk about staggering work schedules, which was done 40 years ago when we didn't have technology, cell phones, personal computers,” he said. “Maybe some employers would say, 'Could you work remotely for 17 days?'”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, February 17, 2023. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Bass acknowledged that essential workers will still have to commute to work for the duration of the Summer Games in the city.
“Certainly we also learned from COVID that we have essential workers, people who have to go to work. But if we limit it to that, it's going to be a lot easier,” Bass added. “People will have some point of reference in recent history on how to get there.”
The 2028 Games organizing committee announced that swimming competitions will be held at SoFi Stadium, the multimillion-dollar home stadium of the Rams and Chargers in Inglewood, California. Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles has been selected for the gymnastics competitions, while USC Memorial Coliseum will host the track and field events.
A Metro bus drives along 1st Street in Los Angeles on July 23, 2024.
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum hosted the opening ceremony of the 1984 Summer Olympics. The opening ceremony of the third Summer Games in Los Angeles is scheduled for July 14, 2028.
Separately, several venues in Long Beach, California, will host artistic swimming, marathon swimming, water polo, handball, rowing, triathlon and other events, according to the recently announced plan.
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While most of the events will be held in Los Angeles County, Temecula has been chosen for the equestrian competitions. Temecula is located about 85 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles. However, softball and canoe slalom will be held about 1,500 miles away in Oklahoma City.
Tahiti hosted the surfing competition during this year's Games. It is more than 14,500 kilometres from Paris.
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