[Elvis]

https://urbanize.city/la/post/inglewood ... ep-forward

Inglewood People Mover Project Takes a Step Forward

It would connect the Crenshaw/LAX Line with SoFi Stadium
JANUARY 07, 2021

A draft environmental study published by the City of Inglewood reveals new details for a proposed automated people mover system intended to connect the Crenshaw/LAX Line with the Forum, SoFi Stadium, and a proposed basketball arena for the Los Angeles Clippers.

The monorail-like system, which was announced in 2018, would originate from a proposed northern terminus across the street from the Downtown Inglewood Metro station. From there, trains would run on 1.6 miles of elevated guideway, snaking along Market Street, Manchester Boulevard, towards stations located at Prairie Avenue’s intersections with Pincay Drive and Hardy Avenue.

The project, in addition to connecting with a series of sports and entertainment venues, would also create a direct link between the Crenshaw/LAX Line and the budding commercial and residential district surrounding SoFi Stadium. The 300-acre district, which is also home to a new NFL Media campus, is approved for the construction of approximately 2,000 apartments, 800,000 square feet of office space, and 900,000 square feet of stores and restaurants.

Ridership projects contained within the environmental study suggest that roughly 3,100 passengers would make use of the people mover on an average weekday. That figure could swell to as much as 25,000 on days with events at any of the three venues along its southern leg.

Construction of the proposed project is expected to occur over a roughly 45-month period, with site preparation and demolition of existing structures slated to begin as early as late 2021. Heavy construction is anticipated to occur between 2022 and 2026.

In an interview, Inglewood Mayor James Butts – who is also a member of the Metro Board of Directors – described the project as a potential lynchpin for transit in the South Bay. Although the initial project is only slated to run within Inglewood city limits, a grant application submitted to the State of California suggests that the people mover could eventually be extended farther south to connect with Metro’s C Line in the median of the I-105 Freeway, while Butts has envisioned a future connection to the people mover system now under construction at Los Angeles International Airport.

Although the environmental study also considers the possibility of connecting the Crenshaw/LAX Line to the Forum, SoFi Stadium, and the Clippers arena through shuttle buses, Butts argues that the benefits of the Inglewood people mover justify its potential $1 billion price tag.

“Not everyone is comfortable with buses,” Butts tells Urbanize. “To get people outside of our typical demographic of rider, an overhead people mover that can transport 11,000 people per hour will give riders a reason and an incentive to see mass transit as more than an esoteric goal. It can be something that is useful and that will add to the experience of ridership.”

To date, Inglewood has cobbled together approximately $328 million in funding for the project through a combination of state grants and Metro highway money. Additionally, a portion of ticket sales tax revenue for the new Clippers arena will be earmarked for construction of the people mover. However, roughly two thirds of the total project budget remains unfunded, presenting a challenge to the project’s backers.

To close that gap, Inglewood officials have considered a variety of strategies. The grant application submitted to the State of California suggests that the city could pursue increases to business, hotel, and real estate transfer tax rates in order to create new funding streams for the people mover.

Additionally, allowing permitting development in conjunction with the Downtown Inglewood terminus - consisting of 600,000 square feet of housing, commercial uses, and parking – could offset some project costs.

The local and state money, as well as a changing of the political guard in Washington, have made Inglewood officials optimistic of the project’s prospects.

“We’re hopeful that the incoming [Biden] administration will recognize that this is a perfect project for infrastructure funding,” said Butts. “It brings together communities that will benefit economically, and a significant portion of funding is already in place.”

Partnering with a private sector entity that would build and operate the people mover could also ease the path for Inglewood. Private sector investors could ultimately contributed up to $300 million toward the project’s construction, according to Butts.

“I don’t want to say this is easily doable, because that sounds arrogant,” said Butts. “But it is logically consistent to say this is coming to fruition.”

[Elvis]

This is obviously a couple years off, if ever but the Metro Crenshaw line ought to be up and running soon, i think. It would have a stop within a mile or two of the stadium and i'm sure there will be shuttle busses or you could walk it. Then again, how soon will anybody want to be packed like a sardine into subway car?

[DirtyFacedKid]

I need to get comfortable licking public door knobs again before I'll hop on a train like that.

[Elvis]

Inglewood City Council approves $1.4B people mover

It would connect the Crenshaw/LAX Line with SoFi Stadium and Intuit Dome
APRIL 21, 2022,
STEVEN SHARP

As construction hits a key milestone at the new people mover system linking the Crenshaw/LAX Line to the LAX central terminal area, another project seeking to link the 8.5-mile light rail line to nearby destinations is taking a step forward.

Last week, the Inglewood City Council voted to approve plans for the Inglewood Transit Connector (ITC), a monorail-like system which would link the Crenshaw Line's Downtown Inglewood Station to SoFi Stadium and Intuit Dome, the future home of the Los Angeles Clippers.


Rendering of people mover station
City of Inglewood

“The ITC will help make our Metro system accessible to all and work as it’s intended to work: it will actually take people where they want to go, and it will incorporate the real needs of our community,” said Inglewood Mayor James Butts in a statement. “Throughout this process, we have actively engaged with the community to develop a first-last mile solution that; reduces greenhouse gas emissions and reliance on single-passenger vehicles; improves air quality throughout the City and the region, and creates lasting job opportunities for Inglewood residents."

The ITC would run on a roughly 1.6-mile route, with automated electric vehicles running along an elevated viaduct above Market Street, Manchester Avenue, and Prairie Avenue. In addition to the northern terminus adjacent to the Crenshaw Line, plans also call for stops at Manchester Avenue and Hardy Avenue.

City officials estimate that the project will generate up to 700 construction jobs and 10,000 indirect jobs. Approximately $328 million in funding for the ITC has been secured to date, with an additional federal environmental review process expected to make the project eligible for new funding sources.

Construction of the ITC is expected to occur over a period of 46 months between January 2024 and November 2027, with completion in advance of the 2028 Summer Olympic Games.

When operational, the ITC is expected to run trains on normal headways of six minutes, with service as frequent as every two minutes during NFL events. Ridership estimates forecast that up to 414 passengers would use the system during weekday peak-hour conditions, with up to 11,450 passengers using the people mover during NFL events.

[Elvis]

Begin construcion on 2024, finish in 2027? I guess it's too soon to stand in line...

[St. Loser Fan]

I honestly hope the best and that it's not delayed forever like the O'Hare people mover. Good gawd what a project management disaster that was.

But props to whoever left "Kia" off the Forum name.

[Mr. Sparkle]

I really had hope that it would go all the way south to Lennox station. Without that, we are stuck going North. And I’m guessing once the new KLine opens, they are going to be shifting things around.
Which by the way, anyone know who it will open? All I see is “Fall 2022”. I’m sure things will be a mess again if it opens in the middle of the football season. Less than a mile so think a lot of people will walk leaving more busses for Lennox? Time will tell.

[Elvis]

K Line to open October 7th...

[Elvis]

Here's the map:

[Mr. Sparkle]

I assume they are going to have two different lines now at the bus lot. Will be some confusion BUT my big question is if they will add more busses or simply split the busses they already have in half for each station. My guess is they will split them. But the new station is less than a mile away so I see a lot of people just walking. But that station is not much help for us going south unless we want to take a very convoluted route.
Wish they had reasonable priced lockers so I could take an electric scooter from the station to the stadium.