The city of Inglewood recently announced a plan to add a 1.8-mile automated people mover (APM) connecting the forthcoming Los Angeles Rams stadium and the area’s expanding transportation system down the line.
The recently-released study called “Envision Inglewood” /content/files/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/06.26.-18-council-briefing-1.pdf calls for establishing a direct connection between downtown Inglewood and the city’s upcoming collection of professional sports and performance venues in the surrounding area.
Facilities that may be connected by the new transit route include The Forum, the in-progress Los Angeles Stadium and Entertainment District at Hollywood Park, and the recently-unveiled Inglewood Basketball and Entertainment Center, a potential new basketball stadium for the Los Angeles Clippers. The new $2.66-billion Rams stadium will be combined with
a new 3,000-unit mixed-use residential development next door known as “City of Champions.” The retail and dining district will resemble a newer version of the Universal City Walk or The Grove, complete with a lake, parkland, and condos.
The Forum site has solidified plans to host the gymnastic events for the 2028 Olympic Games https://archpaper.com/2017/07/los-angeles-2028-olympics/.
The “Envision Inglewood” plan was created in combination with a number of other transportation and pedestrian upgrades to the area, specifically the Metro Crenshaw/LAX Line https://www.metro.net/projects/crenshaw_corridor/ transit route, an 8.5 mile light rail line connecting the cities of Los Angeles, Inglewood, and El Segundo through southern Los Angeles https://archpaper.com/tag/los-angeles/ County, which is expected to be completed by 2019.
According to a presentation made at the Inglewood City Council, the report’s chosen route—dubbed the “Market-Manchester” alignment—would add the APM link starting from the forthcoming Downtown Inglewood stop on the Crenshaw Line. The elevated train would start at the Market Street stop of Crenshaw Line https://www.metro.net/projects/crenshaw_corridor/ and continue down Manchester Blvd to the the football stadium, retail district, and the Clippers Arena in what the city is calling the Inglewood Transit Connector http://envisioninglewood.org/transportation-solutions/inglewood-transit-connector/
“Connecting residents, fans, employees, shoppers and patrons to a world-class sports and entertainment district that activates and enhances a full range of employment and entertainment opportunities is the future of Inglewood,” stated Inglewood Mayor James Butts.
Projections for the line envision up to 2,578,120 potential boardings across the APM route per year, with nearly 40 percent of all boardings related to “event ridership.” According to the report, the link could cost $614.4 million to build and between $18.2 million and $19.5 million to operate each year.
Outlook for the automated people mover’s completion is expected by 2023. The new football stadium is scheduled to open for the 2019-2020 NFL season.
Proponents of the new Clippers arena have billed the plan as a job-creator and potential boost to Inglewood’s economy, but not everyone is on board. The proposed arena has prompted plenty of concerns from Inglewood
residents over its potential effect on housing prices. Specifically, it is feared that if the Clippers build a new arena in a city where rent prices are already rising, it will lead to current residents being priced out and ultimately displaced. Those campaigning against the arena have a supporter in retired U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer who represented California in the
Senate from 1993-2017. Boxer has assured residents that she is behind the effort to stop the proposal.
