From Los Angeles Downtown News:
Angelenos Could Go Aerial: LA ART project reaches new milestone on Dodger Stadium Gondola
By Luke Netzley, LA Downtown News Deputy Editor Jul 31, 2023
Updated Aug 7, 2023
Proposed in 2018, the Dodger Stadium Gondola project would create a permanent, zero-emission transit connection between Union Station and Dodger Stadium.
LA ART/Submitted
The Los Angeles Aerial Rapid Transit’s (LA ART) proposal for the Dodger Stadium Gondola project has reached a new milestone following the release of a Draft Environmental Impact Report by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
The report, which evaluated the environmental benefits and impacts of an aerial gondola connection between Union Station and Dodger Stadium, found that the proposed project would reduce congestion and reduce emissions by over 150,000 metric tons of greenhouse gasses over its lifetime.
“Since Dodger Stadium opened, there’s not been permanent transit. This project is really all about creating that permanent transit link, but most importantly tying into the region’s transit hub at Union Station,” said David Grannis, executive director of Zero Emissions Transit, the nonprofit leading the project.
The Dodger Stadium Gondola was announced in 2018 as a zero-emission transit option that would take 3,000 cars off the roads on game days, according to LA ART. The gondola would be free to ride for anyone attending a game at Dodger Stadium and cost the same price as a Metro fare for anyone who lives or works in the area. It would operate year-round and take riders seven minutes to travel from Union Station to Dodger Stadium.
Grannis explained that gondola systems have proliferated globally, providing a green alternative to automotive travel that LA could learn from. He noted successful examples in places like London and Mexico City. The gondola network is proposed to run above roads and transit lines, inspired by the cable car lines of La Paz, Bolivia, which were built above the city streets and have reportedly carried 100 million riders since their construction.
“They’re climate resilient and friendly; they’re quiet; they’re inexpensive to operate, and they’re much less expensive to build,” he said. “When you have topography, rivers (and) mountainous terrain, it’s a perfect solution. … We can carry 10,000 people to every game. If you look at the average game, we’re carrying 20% of the attendance, which makes a huge difference in the traffic around and in the neighborhoods.”
The system, which cycles a cabin through each station every 23 seconds, would consist of three cables, two used to support the weight of the gondolas and one to pull them along. Each cabin could hold 35 to 40 people and would have a reconfigurable layout to accommodate wheelchair access.
The project would also create three new stations in Downtown: Dodger Stadium Station; Chinatown/State Park Station at the southwest corner of the LA State Historic Park; and Alameda Station, which would stand adjacent to Union Station on Alameda Street. The system would serve the communities of El Pueblo, Chinatown, Mission Junction, Solano Canyon and William Meade Homes, while providing access to green spaces like Elysian Park.
“Elysian Park is the oldest park in LA, and it’s the second largest,” Grannis said. “There’re so many things to explore here. … The LA River Bikeway that Metro is doing has two exit points that come into this area. These are very bike friendly, so you could actually ride your bike on the LA River Bikeway, come down Spring Street, get on the Chinatown/State Park Station and be here in Elysian Park to ride your bike.”
While some residents and business owners in neighborhoods like Chinatown have applauded the project for encouraging visitors to return and engage with businesses impacted by the pandemic, others have criticized the proposal and argued that it would shift traffic congestion from Dodger Stadium into the communities surrounding the gondola stations.
“Attendees will still need to reach Union Station to take the gondola, creating another traffic issue in that area and can also lead to an increase in traffic in the Boyle Heights area,” The Wall Las Memorias Executive Director Richard Zaldivar said in a statement in 2022. “It not only will create havoc on the streets, but it is also an invasion of our community space, affecting one of the few green areas that the residents have to enjoy by going over the Los Angeles State Historic Park. We believe we can find a better solution to this problem and that we should work with the community to find one that works for all.”
To include community voices in the development of the gondola proposal, the project team spoke with local households, businesses, community organizations and environmental advocacy groups. This process caused the team to change the initial location plan for the Chinatown/State Park Station.
Grannis explained that during the notice of preparation process in October 2020, ahead of their Environmental Impact Report (EIR) submission, the Chinatown community raised its voice.
“They said, ‘We really don’t think this station is appropriate for Chinatown because … we want something much closer to Chinatown’s core,’” Grannis recalled. “We took that to heart, and by the time we did our Draft EIR a year and a half later, we had moved this station and did a junction here so that it was directly serving Chinatown.
“We’re also doing a bridge connecting to North Broadway (from the LA State Historic Park.) The park is 30 feet lower than Broadway, and the A Line runs through here, so there’s no way that this community can access the State Historic Park. We are actually clearing a pedestrian bridge here, which … the whole community can use to access the park.”
To date, nearly 6,000 people and over 340 businesses in Chinatown, El Pueblo and Lincoln Heights have signed up to support the project.
“There is no question this project will benefit the local community,” said Martin Farfan, president of Cathedral High School, located along the proposed gondola route. “The LA ART project could make it easier for Cathedral High School students to access public transit and improve traffic around the school and community on game days.”
The aerial gondola would provide the first permanent transit connection to Dodger Stadium since its construction 60 years ago, and would be the first tricable gondola lift built for public transit in the United States, Grannis said.
“Now, more than ever, we need thoughtful solutions that take cars off the road and lead to a more connected Los Angeles,” said Jonathan Parfrey, executive director of Climate Resolve. “The aerial gondola project will be the first of many more emission-free innovations that will help reduce air pollution and improve quality of life for all Angelenos.”
Grannis added, “I want this to be a catalyst for LA to get to zero emission in the transportation sector.”
The Draft EIR will have a 60-day public review period during which the public can provide comments. Grannis said he hopes the EIR will be certified by the fall. After certification, he estimated that the construction and testing phase would be completed by the first quarter of 2028.
At Dodger Stadium, a full-sized gondola cabin exhibit will remain on display for the rest of the season, allowing visitors to experience what it would be like to ride inside it and to learn more about the project.
Link:
http://www.ladowntownnews.com/news/a...ae8d6ba24.html
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