With the Olympic and Paralympic Games four years away from coming to Southern California, Los Angeles Metro's Board of Directors Thursday are expected to call for a report back on overall preparation plans to ensure a successful event.
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Board Chair and L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn, who introduced the motion on Sept. 20, wants the agency to examine the number of bus operators and maintenance staff required for the games. Additionally, the report would have details on a larger staffing plan, efforts to coordinate other municipal bus operators and Metrolink, as well as a cost estimate and possible funding sources.
L.A. officials have already declared a "no-car" Olympics in 2028, planning to use about 3,000 buses that will be borrowed from all over the country and asking businesses to implement a work-from-home policy during the 17 days of the games.
The LA2028 planning committee previously noted that venues may only be accessible by public transportation with large ones such as SoFi Stadium still expected to permit on-site vehicle parking. While L.A. will host the majority of Olympic events, cities such as Inglewood, Long Beach, Carson, Temecula, and others will get their fair share.
As part of their bid to secure the games in 2028, officials touted the use of existing stadiums and sporting venues, and focus funding toward expanding the region's public transportation system with new bus-only lanes, light rails, and other projects.
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and Metro officials have repeatedly cited the success of the 1984 Olympic Games under then-Mayor Tom Bradley, which generated a profit of more than $250 million as a result of low-construction costs and private-corporate funding.
Bass' proposal for a "no-car" Olympics would be taking a similar approach to what was done during the 1984 Games. Organizers also borrowed hundreds of buses from other cities, used bus-only lanes, and implemented a shuttle bus service for visitors to get from their hotels to venues.
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