Topline:
An embattled plan to build an aerial tram connecting Los Angeles Union Station with Dodger Stadium will be discussed in a public meeting happening this Tuesday, Nov. 12.
The backstory: Game days at Dodger Stadium can cause intense traffic jams. The nearest public transit train stop is about a 25-minute walk from the stadium. L.A.’s transit agency was mocked on social media for promoting the circuitous route ahead of this year’s World Series. Gondola boosters including former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt say congestion would be eased by ferrying fans from a Downtown L.A. train stop to the stadium via a new aerial tram.
The controversy: Many residents in nearby Chinatown — an historically affordable neighborhood where long-term residents are now facing displacement pressures — have opposed the gondola. They argue it could accelerate redevelopment trends that are pricing out low-income tenants. Homeowners have also worried that tram passengers could be given clear views into their private residences.
What’s happening now: California State Parks will hold a virtual meeting from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 12 to discuss a proposed General Plan Amendment that would allow the gondola to be built over L.A. State Historic Park. Details for attending via Zoom — and for providing written public comment — can be found here.