FAQs

Los Angeles Aerial Rapid Transit (LA ART) is a proposal for a high-capacity, zero emissions aerial gondola system to connect Los Angeles Union Station and Dodger Stadium. LA ART offers the capacity to move approximately 5,000 people per hour per direction using a quiet, safe, environmentally friendly, and proven zero-emission technology.

Dodger Stadium is one of the region’s most visited venues; however, there have never been any permanent transit connections to the venue. Currently, the Dodger Stadium Express buses provide a connection between Union Station and Dodger Stadium on game days only. By providing safe, environmentally friendly, and high-capacity transit connectivity, the LA ART plan proposes to link Dodger Stadium, Elysian Park, and surrounding underserved communities, to the region’s rapidly growing regional transit system at Union Station.

The LA ART project can reduce congestion in the neighborhoods surrounding Dodger Stadium and on the 110 freeway. By connecting to Union Station, LA ART can tie the stadium into the region’s public transit system, including the commuter rail operated by Metrolink, as well as key connections operated by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), including the subway system, extensive light rail transit system, as well as numerous bus lines. With these connections, the LA ART proposal can increase mobility options with beneficial contributions to the economy and the environment. Metro’s Regional Connector system with links to Metro’s Blue and Expo lines, currently under construction, is forecasted to begin operations soon, further increasing connections at Metro’s Union Station hub.

Leading environmental non-profit, Climate Resolve, has formed Zero Emissions Transit (ZET), a new subsidiary non-profit organization focused on advancing emissions-free public transit solutions in the Los Angeles region. Through a framework agreement, LA ART’s proposed zero-emission aerial gondola connection between Union Station and Dodger Stadium will be donated to ZET as its inaugural project.

Climate Resolve is a leader in the fight against climate change and helps communities most disadvantaged by climate change impacts. LA ART fully supports Climate Resolve’s mission to build collaborations to champion equitable climate solutions as a non-profit organization.

The LA ART project was first proposed in 2018 to Metro’s Office of Extraordinary Innovation as an innovative, emissions free solution to traffic around Dodger Stadium. Metro agreed to act as the lead agency for environmental review for the gondola system under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

LA ART has committed to fund that process and all Metro expenses in connection with Metro’s review of the project, and that commitment continues with the donation of the LA ART project to ZET. No Metro funds are being used for the LA ART project.

The purpose of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is to evaluate and inform the public of the potential environmental benefits and impacts associated with the project, identify possible ways to minimize those effects, and describe project alternatives.

Metro is the lead agency under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and prepared the Draft EIR for the LA ART project. A Draft EIR for the gondola project was released for public review and comment on October 17, 2022 for a 60-day public comment period ending on December 16, 2022.  On November 15, 2022, Metro extended the public comment period an additional 30 days for a 90-day public comment period ending on January 17, 2023.

The Draft EIR will have a 90-day public review period. Metro will hold in person and virtual Informational Workshops, which will include a presentation on the project and the key analysis and conclusions of the Draft EIR, and Public Hearings where the public will have an opportunity to provide comments. Formal comments may also be submitted by mail, online and phone. More information can be found on Metro’s website: metro.net/aerialrapidtransit

Draft EIR Informational Workshops

Virtual: Saturday, October 22, 2022, 10am – 12pm

In-Person: Tuesday, October 25, 2022, 5pm – 7pm

Draft EIR Public Hearings

In-Person: Saturday, December 10, 2022, 10am – 12pm

Virtual: Tuesday, December 13, 2022, 5pm – 7pm

In-Person: Thursday, January 12, 2023, 5pm – 7pm

Following the Draft EIR public comment period, Metro will prepare the Final EIR, including responses to comments received on the Draft EIR.  It is anticipated that the Metro Board will certify the Final EIR in 2023.

Right of way and other transportation approvals are anticipated to begin being processed in 2023. Following completion of approvals and financing, detailed construction plans and financing would then move into implementation. With an estimated two-year construction period, if construction begins in 2026, the LA ART system could be in operation in time for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

The Dodger Stadium gondola would reduce transportation related pollution and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as a result of reduced vehicular congestion in and around Dodger Stadium, on neighborhood streets, arterial roadways, and freeways. Approximately 20 percent of fans could ride the gondola before and after each Dodger game and event at the Stadium, reducing vehicle miles traveled as attendees shift from driving to Dodger Stadium to riding transit connected to Metro’s regional transit system. The Draft EIR finds that the lifetime vehicle miles travelled reduction of the project would be nearly 130,000,000 VMT, and the project could reduce emissions by over 150,000 metric tons of greenhouse gasses over its lifetime.

The Los Angeles Dodgers encourage transit growth wholeheartedly and have welcomed the prospect of LA ART to increase options for fans to access Dodger Stadium. LA ART offers the opportunity to reduce traffic on neighborhood streets and enhance the fan experience at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers have worked with Metro for over a decade on the very successful Dodger Stadium Express bus service from Union Station and encourage fans to take transit to the ballpark. Similar to the Dodger Stadium Express, each baseball fan with a ticket to a Dodger game will be able to ride the gondola for free to the game.

Recognizing that they are not responsible for the project’s financing, the Dodgers will join in providing information about this sustainable and clean energy transit opportunity, so it is well understood by Dodger fans.

Just like the Dodger Stadium Express, the aerial gondola will be free to ride for anyone attending a game at Dodger Stadium, which will maximize the air quality benefits from the project and encourage transit ridership.

Additionally, to increase local mobility options, the proposed “Community Access Plan” would allow local residents and employees of businesses close to the project to ride the gondola using their Metro fare at no additional cost.

For other riders, including tourists, a separate fare is being evaluated, to ensure that LA ART helps to attract visitors to learn more about the history of Los Angeles, starting at Union Station, and enjoy shopping and dining opportunities as well as cultural attractions at Olvera Street and Chinatown.

In June 2021, LA ART announced that it had proposed to Metro the creation of a Community Access Program for local residents and businesses to use the LA ART system. This encourages daily use of this zero-emission project by local community members, in addition to the event-day periods when ridership will be prioritized for Dodger game attendees. Outside these times, local residents and employees of businesses in the LA ART vicinity could utilize the aerial gondola using an individual Metro fare or their Metro system access pass at no additional cost.

Work with Metro will continue on the details of the program to ensure affordable LA ART access and seamless transfers between LA ART and the Metro system on the same terms available to Metro riders.

As of the fall of 2023, we estimate the project will cost $385-500 million to complete, assuming prevailing wages pursuant to a Project Labor Agreement. Since the last 2020 estimate, the community has provided considerable input and offered several important changes and ideas for community benefits that have been added to the project – in addition to increased inflation and construction costs that have impacted the economy since the pandemic. We continue to be on track to complete and operate the project with private funds. The primary source of capital funding for the proposed Project is from bond financing serviced by revenue from the proposed Project. The primary sources of revenue for the proposed Project are farebox and sponsorship revenue. Operation and maintenance costs are proposed to be fully funded out of proposed Project revenues. 

The Project is not seeking Metro funding. No other public sources of funding have been sought or committed to the proposed Project.

LA ART proposes to operate year-round. In addition to providing high capacity/high-quality transit service to all Dodger home games and all other events at Dodger Stadium, LA ART is anticipated to operate daily to serve community members, park visitors, and tourists. The proposed route can provide visitor experience in and of itself, offering panoramic views of Los Angeles, Los Angeles State Historic Park, and iconic Dodger Stadium.

The ride is proposed to traverse just over one mile, with a short and enjoyable travel time of only seven minutes between Union Station and Dodger Stadium. During event access periods, riders would be able to reserve timed tickets in advance of their desired travel time before stadium events.

Each of the cabins is expected to accommodate 30 to 40 passengers. LA ART would have the flexibility to operate at varying speeds and capacity depending on ridership. When many riders are expected, such as before and after Dodger games, LA ART’s cabins can run frequently, and the system could carry up to approximately 8,000 to 10,000 people in the two hours before and after each game.

Each station and individual cabin will be ADA accessible. The cabins will allow for sitting or standing, and will accommodate wheelchairs, baby strollers, and bicycles.

The LA ART aerial gondola system, as with all aerial gondola systems, includes cables, passenger stations, towers, and gondola cabins. In an aerial transit system, cabins are suspended above grade by cables strung between stations and towers.

LA ART is proposing a Tricable Detachable Gondola (3S) system (the most advanced technology currently available), utilizing high-capacity cabins to efficiently transport passengers. 3S systems use three steel cables to support and move cabins. Two stationary cables provide stabilizing support, while a third cable continuously circulates the cabins.

The LA ART project, following community input, proposes three passenger stations. The proposed stations are shown on the map below.

(1) Union Station/El Pueblo Station
(2) Chinatown/State Park Station
(3) Dodger Stadium Station

The proposed route would primarily be over public right-of-way, and travel generally from Union Station over Alameda Street and up Bishops Road to Dodger Stadium.

The route and station locations were shaped by input from local stakeholders who want to enhance transit access to the Los Angeles State Historic Park, Mission Junction, and William Mead Homes, and support local businesses in Chinatown and El Pueblo.

The height range of aerial cables varies along the alignment depending on the height of stations, the junction, and the three towers. Cable heights (from which the cabins are suspended) at the towers are currently anticipated to be 175 feet above the ground at each of the Alameda Tower and Alpine Tower, and 159 feet above the ground at the Stadium Tower, which could change as the design progresses. LA ART will at all times maintain compliance with applicable regulations for aerial gondola and fire/life safety, including clearance requirements.

The project design locates the ropeway (and cabins) primarily above the publicly owned right-of-way and properties, together with locations where agreements are in place with property owners. The few locations where airspace rights above private property may be requested are being analyzed in connection with the preparation of the Draft EIR. The project approvals will include right-of-way approvals.

Recognizing that the aerial gondola must elevate its ropeway in order to carry the gondola cabins in the air, well above the street, the heights of the towers (as well as the junction and stations) are important for the system’s functioning and safety.

The Stadium Tower is proposed as 179 feet tall. The Broadway Junction is proposed as 84 feet tall. The Alameda Tower and the Alpine Tower are both proposed as 195 feet tall.

The graphic below shows the height of the Alameda and Alpine Towers in relation to some nearby buildings and existing towers.

The stations are designed for lower elevations to allow for passenger access. The Alameda Station, adjacent to Union Station, is proposed as approximately 78 feet to the top of the roof, and the Dodger Stadium Station is proposed as approximately 74 feet to the top of the roof. The Chinatown/State Park Station, designed to minimize LA ART’s park footprint, has a passenger mezzanine, and is proposed as approximately 98 feet to the top of the roof.

LA ART includes three towers to support the ropeway, as well as a non-passenger junction that allows for the route to turn up towards Dodger Stadium/Elysian Park. The Draft EIR is currently being prepared and will include an analysis of the towers and junction, including their width and footprint. As currently proposed and subject to change as part of the project’s environmental review, the tower locations and footprints are as follows:

1. The Alameda Tower is proposed to be located on city property on Alameda Street, at the Alameda Triangle between Alameda Street, North Main Street, and Alhambra Avenue, and is anticipated to have an approximately 884 square foot footprint at ground level.
2. The Alpine Tower is proposed to be located within a city-owned parcel at the northeast corner of Alameda Street and Alpine Street, adjacent to the elevated Metro L Line (Gold) and is anticipated to have an approximately 1,006 square foot footprint at ground level.
3. The Stadium Tower is proposed to be located on hillside private property north of Stadium Way between the Downtown Gate and the 110 freeway and is anticipated to have an approximately 856 square foot footprint at ground level.
4. The Broadway Junction would be located at the northern corner of the intersection of North Broadway and Bishops Road. The Broadway Junction would be approximately 227 feet long and 60 feet wide and is anticipated to have a 1,060 square foot footprint at ground level on privately-owned property.

Each of the towers would be designed so that their bases would not impede adjacent vehicular and pedestrian circulation, while supporting the ropeway that is primarily aligned above the public right-of-way.

LA ART has confirmed with major gondola equipment manufacturers that cabins can be installed with privacy glass that can become opaque while flying next to locations with privacy concerns.

The project’s goals include increasing the percentage of Dodger game and stadium event attendees who travel on public transit to Union Station and then connect to the aerial gondola for a unique and emissions-free experience, thereby attracting new riders to the Metro system.

Although CEQA does not require analysis of parking, LA ART conducted a peer-reviewed parking assessment that found there are thousands of available parking spaces in the Gondola project’s walkshed. There is plenty of off-street parking supply to accommodate all of the proposed Project’s parking demand. There are approximately 10,290 spaces in publicly available lots and garages and in on-street spaces within 1⁄2 mile of the proposed Project’s Alameda Station and Chinatown/State Park Station. The Gondola system will help Dodger fans and residents access our public transportation system, taking thousands of cars off the road each game day.

LA ART would be built to meet all applicable structural and seismic requirements. The system is designed with multiple redundant features to ensure the safety and security of riders. During the review process with Metro, safety issues will be carefully reviewed, and operational plans will be prepared to ensure safety and security. Both Metro at Union Station and the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium have extensive security policies, procedures, and systems that would be designed to incorporate LA ART at the time that operations begin.

The windows on the gondola cabins will not open, preventing any items from being thrown or dropped from the windows.

Consistent with and supporting Metro’s Esplanade plans on Alameda Street, LA ART has proposed pedestrian improvements at Alameda Station, including a new pedestrian plaza at El Pueblo.

Near the Chinatown/State Park Station, LA ART has proposed pedestrian access improvements to Metro’s L Line (Gold) Station, as well as support for the Los Angeles State Historic Park’s proposed pedestrian bridge connecting the park to North Broadway.

The Dodger Stadium Station would include a pedestrian esplanade connection to Dodger Stadium and restrooms for passenger use located at the station.

In addition, the framework agreement with ZET includes collaborating to identify additional initiatives such as improving pedestrian amenities to encourage transit use in the communities adjacent to the Project route.

LA ART can increase connectivity to the Los Angeles State Historic Park by providing visitors with increased transit options to the park and park events. Public benefits being considered for the park include support for a pedestrian bridge between North Broadway and the park, which will provide access for walkers and bicyclists who cannot currently access the park from Broadway. LA ART can also provide unique views of the park, including its historic roundhouse, together with opportunities for visitors to learn more about the park, including the history of transportation.

Together with the Chinatown/State Park Station, LA ART is offering to study in its Draft EIR the inclusion of additional park amenities, including shaded areas with improved space for concessions and restroom improvements.

In addition to the aerial gondola experts that will be needed, there are numerous other elements (e.g., stations, pedestrian amenities, etc.) that will provide local business with a variety of opportunities. In its construction phase, the project has agreed to meet or exceed Metro’s construction policies, including prevailing wage, local and minority business outreach, and other equity goals.

Forms of aerial transit technology have been available and utilized for at least 100 years. In other parts of the world, aerial gondolas provide valuable transit options that ease congestion and improve mobility in a zero-emissions way that is attractive to and enjoyable for riders.

1. Paris, France just gave the green light for an aerial tramway project that would link several outlying but populous neighborhoods in Paris’ southeastern suburbs to the city center.
2. In Bogota, Colombia, there are plans to add seven new lines to the existing TransMiCable system that connects 700,000 residents to the city’s Transmilenio bus rapid-transit network.
3. Since 2016, the Mexicable system in Mexico City has connected residents of hard-to-reach hillside neighborhoods to the metropolitan center of the city.
4. In La Paz, Bolivia, an aerial gondola network realized ridership of over 100 million passengers in 2019 (pre-pandemic).
5. Commuter aerial rapid transit systems in the United States include:
6. The Roosevelt Island Tramway, which connects Roosevelt Island to the Upper East Side of Manhattan and moves more than 2.5 million commuters annually.
7. The Portland Aerial Tram, an aerial tramway in Portland, Oregon, carrying close to 1.5 million commuters between the city’s South Waterfront district and the main Oregon Health & Science University campus.