A gondola to Dodger Stadium? 'Repulsive,' among reader thoughts

Artist rendering of the Dodger Stadium landing site of a proposed gondola project

By Alison SneagAudience Engagement Editor

May 16, 2023 5 AM PT

Would readers take a gondola to Dodger Stadium from Union Station?

Several hundred people weighed in on a potential new way to reach Dodgers games, first proposed by then-owner Frank McCourt in 2018 and still alive, now shepherded by an environmental organization that hopes to take cars off the streets and keep pollutants out of the air. We asked readers if they would or would not use the gondola, or if they were not sure.

By just a few votes, “yes” received the most responses. Here are the areas that readers cited the most as factors in their decisions:

Is Union Station easier than Dodger Stadium lots?

A common theme among respondents: Is the Union Station-to-Dodger Stadium route more convenient? Does it save time? For many, the answer was a resounding no. But many people said they’d use it for a variety of reasons.

If I arrive at the boarding station at a reasonable time before first pitch, what guarantee do I have that I will not be stuck in line rather than in the stadium 30 minutes later? And, after the game, the last of those fans won’t be boarding their ride back until 60-plus minutes postgame ... standing in line. And that’s just to get back to the station.

The Stadium needs better access — I can afford to go to games, in decent seats, but I choose not to because the traffic is ludicrous. The stadium desperately needs multiple accesses.

And ... today’s environment also demands better security. Good luck to them in resolving their dilemma.

Answer: No

Chip Ossman, Altadena

If improvements in total commute time and total price were a net positive I would definitely take it. If I have to Uber to the Expo Line to take it to Union Station and then get on the gondola, that sounds like a lot of work and the costs add up. Especially if we have a group.

Answer: Not sure

Patrick Pennel, Los Angeles

I already park blocks away from the stadium and walk there because I detest the lot so much. It’s easy to get into but a nightmare after the games are over. A gondola would make going and leaving much easier and take less time.

Answer: Yes

Joe Kornbrodt, Los Angeles

How long is the line going to be? The line for the current Union Station buses makes them impractical.

By my math and the numbers in the article (24 people every 23 seconds), it would take almost three hours to move the 10,000 fans the article talks about. Something doesn’t add up.

Fwiw, I’ve shared season tickets with others since 1992 and go to about 15 games a year.

Answer: Not sure

Wesley Monroe, Pasadena

We need more public transportation in Los Angeles. How fun and easy. Train to gondola to stadium. I would go see a concert there if it were that easy.

Answer: Yes

Tamra Davis, Malibu

I could take the train to L.A. from Ventura and not worry about traffic. I would definitely come to more games.

Answer: Yes

Anita Guerrini, Ventura

More Frank McCourt?

Frank McCourt did not sell the Dodger Stadium parking lots when he sold the Dodgers for a billion-dollar profit in 2012. Instead, winning bidder Guggenheim Baseball Management formed a joint venture with a McCourt entity to control the parking lots. Though Mark Walter, the Dodgers’ chairman and controlling owner, said McCourt can’t develop anything on the property without Guggenheim’s consent, McCourt’s name was a cause for concern for readers who offered their thoughts.

I drink beer before getting into the stadium, my bladder couldn’t hold it in for the seven minute (estimated ride time) and that’s including the wait times lol ....besides, I hate that McCourt would somehow be involved with this ...can’t stand the dude, for the way he treated our Dodgers....anyway just my opinion ✌️

Answer: Not sure

Tony Perez, Los Angeles

It would be an adventure and add to the excitement of game day, like going to Philippe’s before the game. I’m not thrilled about a ton of development there. I also can’t think of a single person who likes the idea of giving so much as a penny to Frank McCourt.

Answer: Yes

Dan McCarrel, Diamond Bar

Parking is not a pleasant experience at Dodger Stadium. I go to 20-plus games a year and park in Chinatown to avoid the hassle. It’s a walk of slightly more than a mile each way and after the game it’s downhill! A side bonus is not paying McCourt any money for parking. I would hate to support anything that benefits the guy who tried to destroy the home team.

Answer: Not sure

Deborah Vogel, South Pasadena

Is it really better for the area?

It is repulsive to me to have a gondola rising above the people and houses of the community who are near Dodger Stadium. That community has had to endure traffic through the streets and now a gondola above them is horrible. The cons outweighs the pros. This is another example of the rich exploiting the poor.

Answer: No

Susie Chow, Monterey Park

I’m a resident in the community and NO, I would not set foot on the gondola. Residents like me would boycott and protest the gondola if it were built. This is not an iconic tourist attraction or innovative green transit solution. This is an ill-conceived boondoggle that is being pushed on us with a bunch of lies. If built, this gondola would be a monument to the exploitation and marginalization of our communities.

Besides, what good is a seven-minute ride if you have to stand in line for an hour to board the gondola? And where would everyone who drives to the gondola park? What good is it if the traffic is just redirected into our neighborhoods instead of into Dodger Stadium? This gondola will be a toy for a select few. Does anyone really believe that the tickets will remain free, that they won’t eventually jack up prices or charge an exorbitant membership fee for people to jump the long lines at the gondola stations? Nothing about this project adds up.

Answer: No

Phyllis Ling, Los Angeles

People will either keep driving to the Dodger Stadium parking lots, or they will drive to Chinatown in order to hop on the gondola. This will turn the neighborhood of Chinatown into the Dodger Stadium parking lot, which means Chinatown will take on even more of the automobile traffic, noise, trash and public urination from beer-imbibing Dodger fans, and its residents will find all of their street parking disappear on game days. Meanwhile, these gondola cabins are proposed to be flying overhead (and not very high overhead either) every 30 seconds or so all year long? In service fewer than 100 game days and concert days? At a ticket price which remains unknown?

The stakeholders of Chinatown/Olvera Street were never asked if we wanted this — instead, we were told that this was already in the works and then asked if we thought the renderings were pretty. People assume that the gondola cabins will soar high in the sky over Los Angeles, but they will mostly be barely 30-40 feet above the pavement and above homes in some instances. They will cut down a swath of mature trees at the L.A. State Historic Park in order to make room for the new station and the flight path. This is information you can only access if you read through the thousands of pages of the DEIR (Draft Environmental Impact Report).

Answer: No

Tany Ling, Los Angeles

A matter of trust

Would need to park and ride, easier and faster to just drive to Dodger Stadium.

Also, many leave the stadium drunk or amped up, I would not like to share a small gondola, especially when with family.

Answer: No

Russ Randall, Santa Clarita

My concerns about the gondola include earthquakes and power outages. What would happen to passengers in either case? Also how many homes or businesses would displaced? Dodger Stadium already has a tainted history in that regard.

Answer: Not sure

Lisa Babilonia, Nev.

More development?

I could take Metro and skip the traffic completely. It’s the only way I’d consider going to see a game — especially if there are bars and restaurants making it more of an entertainment destination all year. It’s well past time for residents and visitors to the area to be able to visit major destinations without needing to drive in the (world famous!) bad traffic.

Answer: Yes

David Swift, Pasadena

The gondola would be a world-class attraction for L.A.!! Quit worrying about who may profit. I don’t like Frank any more than you do, but having shopping, dining, and apartments near the ballpark makes sense. Look at how Anaheim has created an entire apartment village around their ballpark. It’s attracted thousands of young people who never would have considered Anaheim. We need more housing. Everyone opposes urban sprawl and building in fire-prone areas outside the city ... everyone opposes building inside the city ... that’s why there is so much corruption for getting buildings approved through city hall. Is it any surprise we have a housing shortage?!!! Include some affordable housing so some of the stadium workers live nearby.

Answer: Yes

Dave Schafer, Torrance
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Parking is expensive and difficult. Plus, the gondola also serves Cornfields Park and the restaurants in that neighborhood for before/after game fun.

I also support redeveloping these parking lots into something far more useful than black asphalt. It’s a disgraceful waste of land when there’s an opportunity for the city to broker a win-win-win scenario (more parkland, less surface parking, centrally located housing, and more attractive shops/businesses/restaurants). There’s also a chance to build an entire community from a clean slate that incorporates today’s best practices for sustainability, walkability, etc.

Answer: Yes

Jeff Farrington, Echo Park