Local residents descended upon Union Station Saturday to voice their support for and opposition to the proposed Dodger Stadium gondola project.
Demonstrators were seen holding signs that read “Build the gondola” and “Stop the gondola” directly next to each other and chanting in favor of their side.
Supporters of the project say that the need to prevent “Carmageddon” and heavy traffic backups from Dodger fans coming and going from the stadium is paramount.
“As many ways as we can get cars off the road, the better it is for the community and for the parks,” said Damian Kevitt, a member of Streets Are For Everyone and an advocate for the gondola.
Other supporters state that the traffic is just too much for their neighborhoods, and it’s not just due to Dodgers games.
“The gondola will not only get cars off the road, but it will also help reduce traffic impacts from the L.A. State Historic Park when they host concerts and other major events,” said Inez Gomez, a resident of Chinatown.
“My neighbors and I are tired of dealing with the effects of Dodger Stadium traffic … not only are our streets congested with cars, but sometimes unruly drivers create dangerous conditions for our children,” another Chinatown resident, Shirley Zhang, said. “We have to put up with traffic, litter and guests who treat our streets like a public toilet.”
On the other side of things, opponents of the gondola say that the construction would likely do more harm than good to historic neighborhoods in and around downtown L.A.
“We don’t know how construction could harm culturally significant buildings, and I think that we have to preserve them,” said Al Nordz with the Elysian Valley Neighborhood Council.
Stop the Gondola organizers state that they don’t want a “billionaire [building] an aerial gondola over the neighborhood that research proves won’t reduce traffic or greenhouse emissions.”
A flyer disseminated by the anti-gondola organization says that the project is a “waste of time, too expensive and received no real community input.”
“Never repeat Chavez Ravine!” the flyer reads. “Metro isn’t following its own rules. We shouldn’t give [former Dodgers owner and chairman] Frank McCourt free public land.”
If the project goes through, the gondola will operate with zero emissions and would be the first aerial gondola system to include an electric battery backup.
