The proposed aerial transit project that would connect Dodger Stadium with downtown Los Angeles is facing yet another hurdle after a state appeals court rejected Metro’s approval of the environmental impact report for the project, as first reported by the L.A. Times.
Officially known as the Los Angeles Aerial Rapid Transit Project, the endeavor would link the stadium to Union Station and Chinatown at Los Angeles State Historic Park via a suspended gondola system funded by former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt and his son, Drew.
“None of the other approvals have been obtained, and the court decision Thursday requires Metro to ‘set aside its certification of the EIR’ and ‘set aside its approval of the project’ until a revised environmental impact report can be completed,” the Times reported.
Last year, Metro approved the environmental impact report, but the California Endowment and the Los Angeles Parks Alliance sued to throw out the report, claiming Metro had not adequately followed state environmental laws in approving it.
That request was denied by the Los Angeles Superior Court last August, but the plaintiffs won their appeal Thursday, the Times reported.
The project would need to receive approval from Metro, the Los Angeles City Council, Caltrans, and the California State Park agency.
The proposed plan has been a hotly debated topic for years after it was first unveiled in 2018. Supporters of the project tout its zero-emission capabilities and its ability to cut down on traffic concerns on Dodgers’ game days.
However, opponents, including residents who live beneath the pathway of the gondola system, worry the project will ruin views, fly too low near its stations, and encourage drivers to park in neighborhoods where little street parking is available as-is.
