August 22, 2024
Smithsonian Magazine recently published an article by Jay Zagorsky, Clinical Associate Professor of Markets, Public Policy, and Law, discussing the promise of a ‘car-free’ environment at the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics.
Despite growing public transit options, cars remain prominent in Los Angeles, making this plan overly optimistic. Today, LA is reviving its transit system with four new light-rail lines (the new term for electric streetcars), two subways, and additional planned upgrades for the Olympic Games.
“The demise of electric streetcars in Los Angeles and attempts to bring them back today vividly demonstrate the costs and challenges of such revivals,” Zagorsky adds.
The organizers aim to enforce the car-free promise by creating difficult driving conditions during the Games, though the city will likely return to its car-centric ways afterward.
