As Los Angeles prepares for the 2028 Summer Olympics, significant concerns remain regarding the city’s public transportation capabilities, particularly in a region historically dominated by car travel.
Organizers are planning to lease over 2,000 buses and use a network of designated lanes, aspiring to encourage both residents and tourists to embrace public transit in line with LA Mayor Karen Bass’s vision for a ‘car-free’ Olympic experience.
Experts believe that the success of this ambitious public transportation initiative is pivotal. Ron Davidson, a Geography and Environmental Studies professor at California State University, Northridge, emphasized that the Olympics present a crucial opportunity to reshape perceptions of public transportation in Los Angeles.
‘If there was an opportunity to change perceptions of public transportation in Los Angeles, it would be the Olympic Games,’ Davidson remarked. ‘It’s going to make a big impression on the world, not just people who live here, but all the tourists who come and all the people who watch the event.’
Los Angeles has long been synonymous with car culture and notorious for its congested freeways, a reputation that has dogged the city for decades.
The term ‘sprawling’ became closely associated with Los Angeles when a photograph depicting the city’s vast lighting expanse graced the cover of Sunset magazine. Davidson noted that this imagery depicted a city without a defined downtown, instead illustrating a quilt of suburbs.
Notably, the 1932 Olympics further established LA’s car-dependent image, coinciding with the decline of essential rail systems like the Pacific Electric and the Los Angeles Railway.
Fast forward nearly a century later, and despite having a limited rail system and a somewhat denser urban fabric, many Angelenos still navigate a landscape characterized by sprawling distances and clogged freeways.
Transforming this entrenched reality poses a significant challenge, yet Davidson sees potential. He recounted the skepticism surrounding public transportation during the 1984 Olympics, where fears of inadequate transit planning threatened the success of the event.
However, the organizers ultimately devised an effective bus transportation system that successfully moved fans, athletes, and dignitaries across the city. Davidson believes the same model will be employed in 2028 to ensure seamless transit during the games.
‘A lot has changed since 1984, but visitors will still form their impression of Los Angeles based on transportation. If planners can execute a well-functioning public transit system, it could be transformational for the city,’ Davidson stated.
Indeed, the importance of public transportation to the success of the games cannot be overstated.
‘Public transportation will mean everything to these games,’ Davidson asserted. ‘That’s what organizers promised when they made the bid – a no car Olympics.’
He elaborated that this Olympics may be a pivotal moment, potentially signifying a new chapter in the city’s storied evolution.
This transformative potential hinges not only on the Olympic games but also on the commitment from city leaders to pursue more sustainable changes well beyond the event.
‘LA seems to thrive on image and dreams and its belief in its own success. I think this is one of those moments that call for optimistic voices,’ Davidson said.
While some may regard Los Angeles as being in a phase of decline, the upcoming Olympics represent a rare opportunity to shift perceptions and habits in a way that could redefine the city’s transportation landscape for generations to come.
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