Dodgers gondola project’s environmental impact to be considered by LA Metro board Thursday

LOS ANGELES (CNS) — The Metro Board of Directors Thursday will consider approving the environmental impact report for a gondola project that would provide access to Dodger Stadium — but that has drawn considerable opposition.

The board is also expected to consider a motion establishing an inclusive community benefits agreement intended to address the concerns of impacted communities prior to any construction.

Former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt proposed the $300 million private project, which would establish a 1.2-mile aerial gondola that would connect Union Station and Dodger Stadium, in 2018. Aerial Rapid Transit Technologies LLC offered to fund, construct, operate and maintain the project.

The Los Angeles Aerial Rapid Transit Project would include a station at the southernmost entrance of Los Angeles State Historic Park, as well as pedestrian and landscape improvements. The project would run above Chinatown, Mission Junction, Elysian Park and Solano Canyon.

Metro formally concluded the proposal process and began exclusive negotiations with ART, and stepped up to be the lead agency overseeing California Environmental Quality Act requirements.

The environmental impact report noted major construction noise and vibration would occur. Some cables and cabins would pass over private properties, sparking concerns over privacy. Traffic lanes would be closed during parts of the construction phase as well, which would require a detailed plan outlining street closures, lights and detours.

Metro has outlined possible mitigation efforts to address these issues, but acknowledged that impacts related to construction would remain “significant and unavoidable.”

Even if Metro does sign off on the AIR, the project will require further approvals from the city of Los Angeles, Caltrans, the California State Department of Parks and Recreation and the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health.

The proposal has garnered significant pushback from some community members in neighborhoods surrounding the stadium who contend it overlooks critical concerns about potential environmental and economic impacts. Some residents and other stakeholders formed the Stop the Gondola Coalition in opposition of the project.

“The proposed gondola is not a public transportation project but rather a private tourist attraction that would benefit Frank McCourt and the entertainment complex he wants to build at Dodger Stadium,” Stop the Gondola Coalition said in a statement Wednesday.

On top of concerns about the environment, quality of life and gentrification, opponents say there is no guarantee taxpayers won’t be stuck with the bill for the project, which they say is closer to $500 million for construction, and an annual $8 million to $10 million for maintenance and operations.

Supporters say the project could remove as many as 3,000 cars from neighborhood streets and the Harbor (110) Freeway before and after Dodgers games, leading to a net reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

“Frank McCourt has a long history of being solutions-oriented. He lived the Dodger traffic and understands the congestion and he believes that aerial transit is a proven technology that’s efficient and provides clean transportation,” LA ART spokeswoman Jennifer Rivera told the Los Angeles Times in 2022. “The route will not displace any residents and it runs mostly along public property and city streets.”

It’s been unclear how the project will be funded, or how much money Metro will provide as part of any partnership.

Two years ago, a report published by the UCLA Mobility Lab found the gondola would “reduce traffic on major roads around Dodger Stadium on the night of a sold-out game, but the impact would likely be very limited,” removing about 608 cars.

City Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez, who represents the First District, which encompasses Chinatown and the area where the gondola would be set up, has come out against the project. The councilwoman is expected to attend Metro’s Board of Directors meeting Thursday morning.

She introduced a motion calling on the city to suspend further actions relating to the gondola until further recommendations are considered to alleviate traffic, community queuing and local parking impacts.

Her motion would instruct city departments to examine policies and procedures at other stadiums and high-capacity venues throughout the region, such as the Rose Bowl, Hollywood Bowl, SoFi Stadium, BMO Stadium and the Coliseum.

“The EIR for the Aerial Rapid Transit Project as it currently stands, leaves us with more questions than it answers,” Hernandez told Metro Planning Committee members during a meeting in early February.

She said there are no assurances the project won’t compete for public dollars, nor does it outline protections for green spaces.

But that’s also why Metro will look to approve a community investment agreement.

“There are important concerns that should be addressed prior to moving the project forward,” according to Metro documents. “Affordable housing, access to healthy foods, cultural preservation, workforce opportunities and economic development initiatives focused on small business growth are sorely needed in order to support the communities along the project alignment.”