Los Angeles Aerial Rapid Transit

Last updated

Los Angeles Aerial Rapid Transit
Overview
LA ART
CharacterUrban
CountryUnited States
Termini Union Station
Dodger Stadium
No. of stations3
Open2028 (proposed)
Website www.laart.la
Operation
Trip duration7 minutes
Route map

Contents

Legend
BSicon STADIUM.svg
BSicon nSTR white.svg
BSicon exlBHF.svg
BSicon exKSTRa.svg
 Dodger Stadium
BSicon nSTR white.svg
BSicon exSTR.svg
BSicon uSTR+l.svg
BSicon nSTR white.svg
BSicon xmKRZ.svg
BSicon uCONTfq.svg
BSicon HUBaq.svg
BSicon uhBHFa.svg
BSicon nSTR white.svg
BSicon exlBHF.svg
BSicon HUBeq.svg
BSicon exSTR.svg
 Chinatown LAMetroLogo.svg
BSicon uhSTRl.svg
BSicon exSTR.svg
BSicon nSTR white.svg
BSicon uhSTRq.svg
BSicon uhcSTRq.svg
BSicon uhSTR+r.svg
BSicon utCONTgq.svg
BSicon exSTR.svg
BSicon nSTR white.svg
BSicon utSTR2+r.svg
BSicon utcSTRc3.svg
BSicon uhSTRe.svg
BSicon CONT1+f.svg
BSicon nSTR white.svg
BSicon exlBHF.svg
BSicon utSTRc1.svg
BSicon HUBaq.svg
BSicon exKSTRe.svg
BSicon ldINT-L.svg
BSicon dHUBq.svg
BSicon utdKSTR+4.svg
BSicon dHUBq.svg
BSicon udINT-M.svg
BSicon dHUBq.svg
BSicon dKINTe-R.svg
BSicon cHUBeq.svg
 Union Station LAMetroLogo.svg Metrolink icon.svg BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg
BSicon uCONTf.svg

The Los Angeles Aerial Rapid Transit Project is a proposed aerial gondola in Los Angeles, California, United States, connecting Union Station to the Dodger Stadium property with an intermediate station at the Los Angeles State Historic Park. The aerial gondolas will also serve Elysian Park adjacent to the stadium.

Background

Dodger Stadium was built where the former neighborhoods of Chavez Ravine once stood. Earthmovers reshaped the hills beginning in 1959 and the stadium overlooking downtown Los Angeles opened April 10, 1962 in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. [1] The conditional use permit included a requirement that permanent transit to the stadium would be pursued. [2]

The stadium is surrounded by 130 acres (53 ha) of parking lots. In 2008, Dodgers owner Frank McCourt wanted to transform the ballpark into a year-round destination for dining, shopping and recreation. The project description included a Dodger museum, shops, and restaurants. [3] The project was not initiated but McCourt retained partial ownership in the sprawling surface parking lots that wrap the stadium when he sold the team and stadium. [4]

Fans create parking headaches for Echo Park residents. [5] Before a game, bumper to bumper traffic winds through the hilly streets to reach the stadium from several directions. On week days, rush hour increases the traffic crunch. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) has two Dodger Stadium Express bus routes that transport fans to and from the stadium for games. [6] The Chinatown station is the nearest station of the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. From there, it is a little over a mile walk through the Chinatown neighborhood with a pedestrian bridge available at the north end of Yale Street over the 110 Freeway. [7]

History

Aerial Rapid Transit Technologies, LLC announced in 2018 a plan to construct a gondola system between Union Station and Dodger Stadium. [8] With a seven-minute end-to-end ride, each cabin would hold 30 to 40 passengers. Proposed construction funding in part would be by former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt and other private sources. [4] Operations would likely be largely funded by corporate sponsorships and tourist fares. [9] Metro accepted the unsolicited proposal and became the lead agency for the Environmental Impact Report in October 2020. [10] [11] The company transferred the project to the nonprofit Zero Emissions Transit in August 2022. [12] The nonprofit is run by a group called Climate Resolve that aims to reduce pollution related to climate change. [9] Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti supported the project but Karen Bass took over that seat on the Metro board when she assumed the office of mayor on December 12, 2022. [9]

The project has renewed fears of gentrification in the Chinatown community especially among the many elderly residents. [13] An organization, that would have a 195-foot tall tower (59 m) next to their headquarters, claimed the proposal was a private tourist attraction and not a public transportation link. They lost their challenge in court in January 2023 when the judge cited evidence that there would be drop in private automobile trips to and from the stadium on an average game day. [14] Researchers at the UCLA Mobility Lab found that the gondola would likely take roughly 608 cars off the road. They found that the gondola could reduce traffic on major roads around stadium on the night of a sold-out game. [6]

Approval of the environmental impact report was delayed in January 2024 by Metro Board of Directors after City Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez introduced a motion for the council to suspend any actions. Besides the lack of a recent traffic study, she had concerns about the impacts on native wildlife, noise and light pollution, privacy of residents along the route, and accelerating gentrification. [15] ) The Metro board support approval was subject to the several conditions. [16]

Route

A spokesperson from LA ART claimed the route runs mostly along public property and city streets and would not displace residents. [17] The route connects to Union Station at Alameda Street which it follows before it runs along the perimeter of Los Angeles State Historic Park where a station will be built close to the Chinatown station on the A line. It continues along the Metro rail line alignment to an angle point where it heads up Bishops Road to the stadium, crossing the freeway near the Stadium Way crossing. [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dodger Stadium</span> Baseball park in Los Angeles, California

Dodger Stadium is a baseball stadium in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It is the ballpark for Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers. Opened in 1962, it was constructed in less than three years at a cost of US$23 million. It is the oldest ballpark in MLB west of the Mississippi River, and third-oldest overall, after Fenway Park in Boston (1912) and Wrigley Field in Chicago (1914), and is the largest baseball stadium in the world by seat capacity. Often referred to as a "pitcher's ballpark", the stadium has seen 13 no-hitters, two of which were perfect games. In addition, Dodger Stadium has been deemed the most popular MLB stadium on social media.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority</span> Public transport agency in Los Angeles County, California, United States

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA), branded as Metro, is the county agency that plans, operates, and coordinates funding for most of the public transportation system in Los Angeles County, California, the most populated county in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinatown, Los Angeles</span> Neighborhood of Los Angeles

Chinatown is a neighborhood in Downtown Los Angeles, California, that became a commercial center for Chinese and other Asian businesses in Central Los Angeles in 1938. The area includes restaurants, shops, and art galleries, but also has a residential neighborhood with a low-income, aging population of about 7,800 residents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union Station (Los Angeles)</span> Main railroad station in Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles Union Station is the main train station in Los Angeles, California, and the largest passenger rail terminal in the Western United States. It opened in May 1939 as the Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal, replacing La Grande Station and Central Station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Angeles Metro Rail</span> Urban rail transit system

The Los Angeles Metro Rail is an urban rail transit system serving Los Angeles County, California in the United States. It consists of six lines: four light rail lines and two rapid transit lines, serving a total of 101 stations. It connects with the Metro Busway bus rapid transit system, the Metrolink commuter rail system, as well as several Amtrak lines. Metro Rail is owned and operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Line (Los Angeles Metro)</span> Light rail line

The A Line is a 48.5-mile (78.1 km) light rail line in Los Angeles County, California. The A Line runs east-west between Azusa and Pasadena, then north-south between Pasadena and Long Beach, via Downtown Los Angeles. The A Line is currently the longest light rail line in the world, surpassing the Coast Tram in Belgium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">L Line (Los Angeles Metro)</span> Former light rail line

The L Line and Gold Line are former designations for a section of the current Los Angeles Metro Rail system. These names referred to a single light rail line of 31 miles (50 km) providing service between Azusa and East Los Angeles via the northeastern corner of Downtown Los Angeles, serving several attractions, including Little Tokyo, Union Station, the Southwest Museum, Chinatown, and the shops of Old Pasadena. The line, formerly one of seven in the system, entered service in 2003. The L Line served 26 stations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harbor Transitway</span> Roadway in Interstate Highway 110 in Los Angeles County, California

The Harbor Transitway is a 10.3-mile (16.6 km) shared-use express bus corridor and high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes running in the median of Interstate 110 between Downtown Los Angeles and the Harbor Gateway Transit Center in Gardena, California. Buses also make intermediate stops at 37th Street/USC, Slauson, Manchester, Harbor Freeway, and Rosecrans stations. The facility opened for two-person carpools on June 26, 1996, for buses on August 1, 1996 and was converted to HOT lanes as part of the Metro ExpressLanes project on November 10, 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">El Monte Busway</span> Los Angeles Metro Busway

The El Monte Busway is a 12-mile (19 km) shared-use express bus corridor (busway) and high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes running along Interstate 10 between Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles and Interstate 605 or El Monte Station in El Monte, California. Buses also make intermediate stops at Cal State LA station and LA General Medical Center station. The busway opened in January 1973 to buses only, three-person carpools were allowed to enter in 1976, and the facility was converted to HOT lanes as part of the Metro ExpressLanes project on February 22, 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Van Nuys station (Los Angeles Metro)</span> Bus rapid transit stop in San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, California

Van Nuys station is a station on the G Line of the Los Angeles Metro Busway system. It is named after adjacent Van Nuys Boulevard, which travels north-south and crosses the east-west busway route and is located in the Van Nuys district of Los Angeles, in the San Fernando Valley. Adjacent to the station is the G Line Bikeway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinatown station (Los Angeles Metro)</span> Los Angeles Metro Rail station

Chinatown station is an elevated light rail station on the A Line of the Los Angeles Metro Rail system. It is located along Spring Street above College Street in the Chinatown neighborhood of Los Angeles, just north of Downtown Los Angeles. This station opened on July 26, 2003, as part of the original Gold Line, then known as the "Pasadena Metro Blue Line" project.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harbor Gateway Transit Center</span> Public transit hub in Los Angeles, California

Harbor Gateway Transit Center, formerly Artesia Transit Center, is a large bus station at the southern end of the Harbor Transitway that serves as a transport hub for the South Bay region of Los Angeles County including the Harbor Gateway neighborhood of Los Angeles and cities of Carson, Gardena, and Torrance. The station consists of one large island platform with 12 bus bays and a 980 space park and ride parking lot located in the southwest corner of Interstate 110 and California State Route 91.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">El Monte Station</span> Transit center in Los Angeles, California

El Monte Station is a large regional bus station in the city of El Monte, California, United States, adjacent to Interstate 10, serving the Metro J Line, Foothill Transit, Greyhound Lines, and El Monte Transit. It is the Metro J Line's eastern terminus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J Line (Los Angeles Metro)</span> Bus rapid transit line

The J Line is a 38-mile (61.2 km) bus rapid transit line that runs between El Monte, Downtown Los Angeles and the Harbor Gateway, with some trips continuing to San Pedro. It is one of the two lines in the Metro Busway system operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sepulveda Transit Corridor</span> Proposed transit corridor

The Sepulveda Transit Corridor Project is a two-phased planned transit corridor project that aims to connect the Los Angeles Basin to the San Fernando Valley through Sepulveda Pass in Los Angeles, California, by supplementing the existing I-405 freeway through the pass. The corridor would partly parallel I-405, and proposed alternatives include heavy rail rapid transit or a monorail line connecting the G Line in the Valley to the D Line and E Line on the Westside, and the K Line near Los Angeles International Airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LAX/Metro Transit Center station</span> Future light rail transport hub

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The Southeast Gateway Line, formerly the West Santa Ana Branch Transit Corridor, is a planned light rail line, mostly following the Pacific Electric's historic West Santa Ana Branch, connecting Downtown Los Angeles to the city of Artesia, along with other cities in southeastern Los Angeles County.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eunisses Hernandez</span> American activist and politician

Eunisses Hernandez is an American activist and politician, currently serving as a member of the Los Angeles City Council for the 1st district since 2022. A member of the Democratic Party and the Democratic Socialists of America, Hernandez defeated incumbent councilmember Gil Cedillo in an upset in the 2022 election.

References

  1. ↑ Masters, Nathan (September 13, 2012). "Chavez Ravine: Community to Controversial Real Estate". KCET. KCETLink Media Group. Archived from the original on August 3, 2017.
  2. ↑ Rocha, Isai (May 4, 2023). "Flying To Dodger Stadium: Behind The Proposed Aerial Gondola". LA Weekly. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
  3. ↑ Hernandez, Dylan; Shaikin, Bill (April 25, 2008). "Stadium Makeover Is Unveiled". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved August 14, 2013.
  4. 1 2 Sharp, Steven (April 26, 2018). "Proposed Gondola System Could Link Dodger Stadium to Union Station". Urbanize LA. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  5. ↑ Nelson, Laura J.; Shaikin, Bill (April 26, 2018). "A gondola from Union Station to Dodger Stadium? It could happen by 2022, Mayor Garcetti says". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  6. 1 2 He, Brian Yueshuai; Ma, Jiaqi (October 24, 2022). Study Finds Proposed Aerial Gondola to Dodger Stadium Will Do Little to Reduce Traffic and Emissions (PDF) (Report). UCLA Mobility Lab.
  7. ↑ Barragan, Bianca (September 19, 2017). "What's the fastest way to get to Dodger Stadium?". Curbed LA. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  8. ↑ Shaikin, Bill (April 30, 2023). "A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? Why is Frank McCourt really pushing it?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  9. 1 2 3 Rachel, Uranga (January 9, 2023). "Challenges loom for gondola to Dodger Stadium planned for the 2028 Olympics". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Draft Environmental Impact Report released today for gondola to Dodger Stadium project". The Source. LA Metro. October 17, 2022. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  11. ↑ Hymon, Steve (October 1, 2020). "Aerial Rapid Transit project to Dodgers Stadium enters public comment period, will hold Oct. 22 virtual scoping meeting". The Source. LA Metro. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  12. ↑ Vega, Emmanuel (August 9, 2022). "Climate Resolve Takes A Huge Step Forward With Dodger Stadium Gondola Project & Zero Emissions Transit" (Press release). Climate Resolve. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  13. ↑ Eng, Renee (May 6, 2022). "Dodger gondola project aims to take cars off roads but critics are worried". Spectrum News1. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  14. ↑ Schneider, Joe (January 11, 2023). "LA Gondola Project Overcomes Initial Challenge From Opponents". Bloomberg. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  15. ↑ Sievertson, Makenna (January 25, 2024). "Dodger Stadium Gondola In Limbo Amid Growing Concerns Over Traffic and Access". LAist. Retrieved January 29, 2024.
  16. ↑ Metro - File #: 2024-0132 (Report). Metro Board of Supervisors Minutes. February 22, 2024. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  17. ↑ Uranga, Rachel (March 23, 2022). "Aerial gondola at Dodger Stadium sparks fears of accelerated gentrification". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  18. ↑ Sharp, Steven (May 22, 2021). "Route selected for Union Station - Dodger Stadium gondola". Urbanize LA. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
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