LA is Electrifying its Bus Fleet, but Olympic Transit Challenges Remain

The Los Angeles County transit system is receiving a $77 million federal grant to buy additional electric buses in advance of hosting the 2028 Olympics. “The buses will help ferry tens of thousands of fans across the city in what is being trumpeted as a ‘transit-first’ Games, and are among thousands of details that officials need to get in order before Los Angeles hosts the 2028 Olympics,” writes Rachel Urange in Mass Transit.

The region expects over a million tourists during the Olympic Games. “So, local leaders have used the Olympic Games to add urgency to their wish lists, such as the fleet of electric buses. This strategy has led to some funding — but it won't solve the logistical puzzle of moving vast crowds of tourists on a day-to-day basis.”

Even with the new buses, the city’s transit system could have a hard time shuttling Olympic visitors around the region. “And the buses purchased from the federal grant won't expand the fleet or get the agency to its goals of going electric. There are too many roadblocks for that to happen, including a lack of chargers and a shrunken pool of manufacturers that can deliver electric buses.”