Turbulence for Dodger Stadium gondola as Los Angeles officials seek to ground the project
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A gondola building proposal The stretch of road from downtown Los Angeles to Dodger Stadium experienced some turbulence this week when the City Council voted overwhelmingly to urge transportation officials to halt the project.
The estimated $500 million aerial tram will connect fans to Union Station, the heart of Los Angeles’ rail system, about a mile (1.6 km) from the stadium.
Fans say the gondola will help fans of the World Series champions avoid nightmarish traffic. But critics point to a study that found keeping cars off the roads doesn’t do much good.
On Wednesday, council members voted 12-1 to approve a resolution recommending the L.A. County Metropolitan Transportation Authority kill the project.
Mayor Karen Bass must sign on for this to go into effect, and the mayor had previously voted in favor of the project as a Metro board member. His office did not immediately respond to an email Thursday asking whether he would approve the council’s decision.
The full council is expected to vote next year to approve the project. But this week’s action is a sign that developers may face an uphill battle getting it built.
Supporters say the gondola would be relatively cheap, wouldn’t cost taxpayers any money, is better for the environment than cars, and aerial trams are safe and quiet. They estimate that each trip will take about five minutes and that the system can move at least 5,000 people per hour in each direction.
When the gondola was first suggested in 2018Aerial Rapid Transit Technologies, founded by former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, said it would pay for part of the project. The firm said it would seek private financing for the remainder.
But nonprofit group Stop The Gondola says McCourt hasn’t released a full financial plan, so it’s still unclear whether taxpayers will ultimately face bills from construction or ongoing maintenance and operations.
The group says most low-income neighborhoods between the train station and the stadium will be jammed with “conspicuous” areas of massive towers supporting the cables that power the massive gondola cabins. There are also concerns that construction could clog traffic along the route for years.
Research Researchers from the UCLA Mobility Laboratory at the University of California at Los Angeles found that the gondola may carry fewer passengers than proponents claim and may have little or no effect on reducing automobile traffic. In fact, researchers said many fans may head to the city center and take a gondola instead of using public transportation.
The ultimate goal is to have people ride Metro buses and trains to Union Station. But that’s a tough proposition in sprawling, car-centric Los Angeles, where many people live in areas far beyond bus and rail networks.
The Dodgers said the gondola is an “innovative project” that will improve the fan experience.
