When and if the #Gondola project from Dodger Stadium to Union Station becomes a reality, the city of Los Angeles would become one of the few to have made use of such a system for accessing locations that are hard to reach. The city already needs to address its increasing traffic and carbon emission problems, and this project delivers on all the fronts.  

According to former CEO of LA Metro, Phillip A Washington, Union Station has supported more than 100,000 transit riders in recent years on a daily basis. That number is expected to multiply by a factor of at least two over the next two decades. A project that provides a connection from the stadium to its adjacent neighborhoods and vice versa while being committed to environmentally friendly practice is a win-win: for the Dodger fans and the City’s environment alike. 

Everyone who’s been to a Dodgers game or attended a concert in the stadium could tell you that leaving the stadium in a car at the end of an event is a horror story in and of itself. Fans often need to leave the game early in an attempt to save themselves from the traffic jams that follow. People continue to fuss over the facts and figures of the gondola's capacity, but it seems like they are ignoring the detail that these are only estimates. Once the project gets into full swing, more people will start to use it.

For a city stoked with traffic congestion, a likely reduction of 10% in the traffic towards the stadium is a major gain. By connecting Union Station and Dodger Stadium, this project has the potential to reduce congestion on the severely overcrowded 110 freeway which links several communities in our area: Union Station, El Pueblo, Mission Junction, ChinaTown and Solano Canyon. The project could also provide easy access to State Historic Park LA, Elysian Park and LA River. 

One of the biggest problems in LA is the city’s traffic, and the aerial gondolas would provide a solution to this problem that would prove especially useful in the case of regular annual home games for the Dodgers. Concerts in the stadium invariably lead to filling the local neighborhood areas with cars. Where thousands of spectators move in and out the stadium, taking a Metro bus allows the crowd clad in blue to travel free of cars. That's why Dodger Stadium Express is such a popular option.

Now imagine if you were to lift cars above the 110 freeway moving as much as 5500 passengers in an hour in both directions, letting about 10,000 people reach the stadium in the two hours prior to a concert or game. Thousands of cars would be kept off the roads, and people could enjoy a game while feeling relieved at the thought that they wouldn't have to drive home through the jammed traffic. Not only that, but the gondolas will be based on zero emission technology. Could it get any better?

The gondola project aims not only to ease access options to Dodger games, but also to improve the air quality for communities and boost the economy for local business, according to Mayor Eric Garcetti. This safe, permanent and sustainable method of transport is supported by the Dodgers as well. 

It is a great idea for our local environment and would benefit Los Angeles greatly.