Metro Releases Environmental Impact Report on Proposed Dodger Stadium Gondola

Los Angeles Metro has released an update on the proposed gondola that would bring people directly from Union Station to Dodger Stadium. 

The report is over 3,700 pages and speaks on the environmental impacts it would have on the City of Los Angeles 

Details on the Gondola

The gondola project was first announced in 2018, shortly after Los Angeles was announced as the host of the 2028 Summer Olympic Games. 

The gondola would connect Union Station to Dodger Stadium using aerial cables, carrying passengers in gondola cars to the stadium in just seven minutes. 

One significant impact the gondolas would make is limiting the number of cars on the road, particularly on Dodger game days. Estimates say the project would remove 5,000 cars off the roads and 3,000 cars in the Dodger Stadium parking lot. 

Despite an initial price tag of $125 million, the new report projects the cost to be around $500 million due to the environmental impacts during construction. 

Click here to read more about the proposed gondola from Union Station to Dodger Stadium. 

Criticism

While many have praised the proposal due to its innovation and environmental impact, opponents are concerned about the project’s effects on the areas it would be constructed over. 

One of the areas includes the Los Angeles State Historic Park, which is just north of Downtown LA. In the Environmental Impact Report, it states that over 80 trees at the park would need to be removed. 

Opponents argue that this, alongside the obstructed Downtown views the gondola cars will cause park-goers, would destroy the LA State Historic Park’s value. 

Additionally, critics are concerned about future developments around the gondola stations, including new shops and retail centers. However, the proposal’s founders have insisted that this is just a transportation project and there are no plans to expand development. 

LA Metro’s board is set to vote on the gondola in January, and if passed, construction looks to be finished by the 2028 Summer Olympics. 

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