Los Angeles Aerial Rapid Transit Announces Proposed Community Access Program for Urban Gondola From Union Station to Dodger Stadium
JUNE 3, 2021
The Community Access Program would provide an affordable and sustainable first/last mile connection.
LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles Aerial Rapid Transit (LA ART) announced it has proposed to the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) the creation of a Community Access Program for local residents and businesses to use the LA ART system, its innovative proposal to create a zero- emission transit link from Union Station to Dodger Stadium.
LA ART’s proposed Community Access Program would encourage daily use of this zero-emission project by local community members, in addition to the event-day periods when ridership will be prioritized for Stadium event attendees. Encouraging use for stadium access is important to achieve the project’s air quality improvement goals to reduce existing emissions from vehicle trips during the hours on the approximately 100 days a year when stadium events occur. During those event-day periods, gondola system access may be bundled with a stadium access ticket and a time-window reservation, for example. Outside of pre- and post-event times, local residents and employees of businesses within the LA ART vicinity would be able to utilize the aerial gondola using an individual Metro fare or their Metro system access pass at no additional cost. In addition to event-period service, LA ART would continue operations daily and provide first/last mile transit service connections to/from the Metro system in communities to the LA ART route.
LA ART has been encouraged by local community input to make this offer to help provide increased transit access to stakeholders adjacent to the proposed route. LA ART’s proposal supports Metro’s shared goal to improve connections for regional public transit access by connecting LA ART to Union Station and the growing Metro transit system for the local community. Metro’s Transit to Parks program also identifies the potential for Metro system riders from other areas of Los Angeles to take transit to parks including Elysian Park and Los Angeles State Historic Park.
LA ART is committed to continuing to work with LA Metro on the details of the Community Access Program to ensure affordable LA ART access together with seamless transfers between LA ART and the Metro system on the same terms available to Metro riders.
The LA ART team has incorporated community feedback into the revised designs including for the proposed Chinatown / State Park station, located within easy walking distance from Chinatown and William Mead Homes.
“The Community Access Program would provide my family, neighbors, and visitors with a quick and affordable alternative to travel to and from Union Station” said Chinatown resident Peter Cheong. “LA Art will ensure that our community members can easily access Chinatown.”
“Many of our residents live on a fixed income and rely on reduced Metro fares for transportation,” said Ines Gomez, President of William Mead Resident Advisory Council. “LA ART’s Community Access Program will help connect our residents and families to the regional public transit system.”
Last month, LA ART announced the preferred alignment, the Broadway Alignment, following community comments received on the alternative routes analyzed during the Notice of Preparation process. The aerial gondola would travel north from Metro’s Union Station along Alameda Street to an intermediate LA ART station proposed adjacent to Metro’s Chinatown L Line (Gold) station, and then fly directly adjacent to Metro’s tracks adjacent to the Los Angeles State Historic Park, before crossing above North Broadway and along Bishops Road to the Dodger Stadium property. The updated plans propose a revised intermediate station location, the Chinatown / State Park Station that will provide for a more direct transfer to Metro’s L Line (Gold) station.
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Download the full press release here.