LA Mayor and board members outline 31 conditions with emphasis on affordable housing for Dodger Stadium gondola project approval

For the approval of the Dodger Stadium gondola project, the Los Angeles Mayor and four members of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority board have outlined 31 conditions that need to be complied with if the project has to go ahead.

For those who aren't aware, the gondola project is a means of transportation that will connect the city through an aerial route. The project aims to reduce traffic and promote rapid transit with zero emissions.

One condition by the mayor and the board is to have a regional bus program that would take passengers directly to Dodger Stadium so that passengers don't have to make a stop at Union Station to catch the gondola. This would mean that the project led by the nonprofit Zero Emissions Transit (ZET) will potentially miss passengers.

Moreover, the mayor also mentioned that if the gondola project isn't completed by the start of the 2028 Olympics, then ZET needs to pay for potential buses that Metro will need to arrange for transit to Dodger Stadium.

Another condition seeks to restrict any further development of the Dodger Stadium parking lots, which are owned by former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt and Guggenheim Baseball Management.

If they need the feel to expand in the future, then they will need to get city approval. Moreover, the board wants the Dodgers to commit to at least 25% affordable housing, a move that is undertaken by the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres in the respective areas of their ballpark.

The LA board has already secured five of the seven votes required to impose these conditions and further discussions will be held on Thursday.

Dodger's Gondola Project faces severe objections due to privacy concerns

In April of 2018, Los Angeles Dodgers and Aerial Rapid Transit Technologies LLC (ARTT) proposed a plan for an aerial rapid transit from Union Station to Dodger Stadium.

According to Dodger Blue, the project will be able to drive 5,000 passengers per hour and will result in relief in traffic in downtown LA and near Dodger Stadium.

However, those in the vicinity of the project feel their privacy will be violated and don't want something flying over their heads all the time.

“It’s just another way that we can’t own our neighborhood and feel safe and quiet here because literally, you have something flying over your house all day long, forever, I guess,” said Tany Ling, a singer who lives in the neighborhood [via Dodger Blue].

Last month, Eunisses Hernandez, a city council member, filed a motion to dismiss any activities until the Department of Transportation completes a thorough assessment of traffic.

The project is dependent on the approval of the final environmental impact report certification before it is taken to the Metro Board of Directors. On approval, an NOD (Notice of Determination) will need to be filed, initiating a 30-day period for legal challenge.