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In the very near future, Dodger fans may not have to brave hours of standstill traffic to root for their team — they’ll be able to soar above Los Angeles in a gondola and make it from Union Station to Dodger Stadium in 7 minutes. Los Angeles County leaders are considering approvals of the Los Angeles Aerial Rapid Transit Project (LA ART), an emission-free electric gondola system that will become part of the public transit infrastructure with the capacity to move nearly 5,000 people an hour each way.
“This is exactly the kind of zero-emission transportation project we need more of in Los Angeles to connect a major venue and park to the regional transportation system,” said Suja Lowenthal, chairwoman of Zero Emissions Transit (ZET), the nonprofit guiding the project, which is privately funded. “This provides benefits for all L.A. residents, but specifically local residents: less traffic, fewer emissions, and an easy way to use transit to get to Elysian Park and Dodger games and reducing local impacts, all without getting into your car.”
On game days, the streets that surround Chinatown, El Pueblo and the other communities are some of the most congested in the city, and the cars carrying fans to games emit large amounts of greenhouse gasses.
The gondola will take 3,000 cars off the road on game days, with a reduction of more than 150,000 metric tons of greenhouse gasses over its lifetime, according to the Environmental Impact Report from Metro.
The Coalition for Clean Air – a local environmental nonprofit – recently wrote county leaders urging them to approve the project in order to help Los Angeles reduce greenhouse gas emission.
“As part of the smoggiest air basin in the country, Los Angeles needs zero emission options, and aerial gondola systems are a proven means for affordable, clean, and safe public transit,” said CCA president Joseph K. Lyou.
A new route for riders
The gondola will travel 1-mile through the air from Union Station, the region’s largest transportation hub, to Dodger Stadium. It will also include a stop in Chinatown near the southwestern edge of Los Angeles State Historic Park.
As Los Angeles County leaders consider approvals of the Dodger Stadium Gondola, downtown neighbors and civic leaders are speaking out about why they support the project.
"Nearly everyone I know who lives or works here in Chinatown supports the project," said Garrett Quon, a small business owner whose family has lived and worked in the neighborhood for four generations. "COVID hit our community hard — especially the mom-and-pop restaurants and storefronts that have been in business for decades. This gondola station is exactly the kind of investment in Chinatown that can help this community survive for decades to come."
Quon and other longtime Chinatown residents see the proposed zero-emission transit project as an important piece in ensuring local shops, restaurants and other community spaces are kept alive. Quon recently signed a letter from civic leaders including leaders from the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association and Chinatown booster group Firecracker 10K in support of the zero-emissions transit project.
“We believe there is an opportunity to welcome responsible development and investment that will help increase the visibility of Chinatown to ensure our legacy and history continues to stay alive for future generations,” the group wrote about the privately funded project.
The leaders noted they were particularly heartened when the project added a stop in Chinatown that would help bring more patrons for local small businesses. Close to 15,000 individuals and 300 area businesses and civic groups have signed up to support the gondola.
Community benefits
In addition to free rides for Dodgers ticket holders, the gondola’s Community Access Program will allow residents to ride for no more than the regular Metro fee.
The gondola will run every day, regardless of whether there is a game. School administrators at Cathedral High School, a local Jesuit high school in Chinatown, were some of the earliest backers of the project because the gondola would provide a safe transportation option for students who live on the opposite side of the 110 Freeway.
Other local residents favor the project because it will help neighbors access the broader transportation system. These residents include William Mead Homes Association, the official resident group of the William Mead public housing community within walking distance of the project.
“We have appreciated their willingness to engage with us, keep us updated, and allow us to participate in making this project a success. For these reasons and more, we happily support the gondola,” wrote more than 300 William Mead residents in a January letter to city leaders.
Organizers hope that besides providing access to the stadium, riders will be able to access Elysian Park more easily, and take advantage of the connection between the Gold Line Chinatown station and LA State Historic Park. The park will get upgrades with improved landscaping and hardscaping, and shade structures.
Next steps
The gondola’s Environmental Impact Report must be approved by the Metro Board of Directors. Then, the project will move forward with permitting from other agencies, such as the City of Los Angeles and other government entities.
Residents like Quon think those approvals can’t come soon enough.
“The gondola is an investment in Chinatown’s future — to reduce traffic, to help our environment, for families like mine that have called Chinatown home for generations. I really hope it gets built,” he said.