LA’s ‘Car-Free’ Olympic Dream Is in Danger

The promise of a “car-free” 2028 Los Angeles Olympics could be slipping away as a $3.3-billion wish list of transportation projects remains almost 95 percent unfunded. 

As Rachel Uranga explains in Governing, “Local officials have a litany of projects they want to complete ahead of 2028, from adding charging infrastructure to improving Metro stations close to venues, but so far attempts to secure federal funds have been hit-and-miss.”

With four years to go until the event, only 34 of the 50 Olympic venues have been confirmed. Due to federal security regulations, there will be no parking immediately near most venues.

Unlike in Paris, where the city’s subway system shuttled most Olympics-goers to their destinations, “The workhorse of the L.A. Olympics will likely be buses.” According to Metro, “There will be additional bus shuttles, bus lanes and other key projects and upgrades to make the Games easy on visitors and residents.”

But the short-staffed agency will need to hire more operators and increase service frequency to effectively move the millions of visitors expected for the Games, plus the commuters and residents who regularly rely on transit. A lack of fast and convenient transit to Olympic venues could also lead to a flood of ridesharing vehicles creating more traffic and congestion.