The group behind LA's proposed gondola project that would run from Union Station downtown and terminate at Dodger Stadium has revealed new images and a strategic partnership for a project many in the area fear could be used as a tool for gentrification.

Earlier in the week, the Los Angeles Aerial Rapid Transit (or LA ART) made an announcement that the scheme would be handed over to the local non-profit Climate Resolve and their newly-formed subsidiary called Zero Emissions Transit, which claims to deliver “emissions-free public transit solutions in the Los Angeles region.”

The group’s announcement included a new batch of updated renderings of the cable cars, station entrances, and elevated platform structures. Their update comes in the face of continued local opposition and the installation of a mockup cabin in the stadium’s parking lot G last week.

“Before taking on this project, we looked carefully at every component of the Gondola project. It’s exactly the kind of zero-emission, community-focused transit option we need more of California,” the group’s statement reads. “The gondola system could take up to 3,000 cars off the road before and after each Dodger game and event at the Stadium, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing pedestrian safety in some of the most environmentally impacted areas of LA.”

The group is run by one-time Los Angeles Department of Water and Power commissioner Jonathan Parfrey and will take the reins from LA ART, which was founded by ousted former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt in 2018. McCourt and his associates have since taken heat from local residents, particularly in Chinatown, who, locked out of closed planning meetings and frustrated by the absence of a public bid, finally initiated a lawsuit against the project through another non-profit called The California Endowment in March.

Their concerns about the project’s intrusiveness are met with claims by supporters that the fleet of 50 gondolas would significantly reduce car traffic, increase pedestrian access, and provide a green model for reducing emissions in public transportation. The development comes at a pivotal time when the Metro system and much of downtown is set to be transformed through different infrastructure projects ahead of the 2028 Olympics, which will count Dodger Stadium as one of its main venues. 

Per Urbanize LA, a draft environmental impact report for the project is expected as soon as the fall. Construction would then commence in 2025 if plans are formally approved. The cost of the privately-funded project is reportedly $125 million. Climate Resolve says the first cars could be operable by the start of 2027.