An elevated, automated people mover will connect to Metro’s Crenshaw/LAX line in downtown Inglewood and travel to the Forum, SoFi Stadium, and the Clippers’ arena when it is complete.
By Jason Lewis
After a full NFL season with fans at SoFi Stadium in 2021, many Inglewood residents have voiced their concerns over the traffic issues. That was to be expected, so the City of Inglewood began to develop plans to alleviate the traffic problems well before the stadium opened.
A major plan that is in motion is building an elevated, automated people mover that will connect to Metro’s Crenshaw/LAX line at Florence Avenue, travel through downtown Inglewood on Market Street, turn on Manchester Boulevard, and make it’s way to Prairie Avenue where it will connect to the Forum, SoFi Stadium, and the Clippers’ arena when it is complete. This project, called the Inglewood Transit Connector (ITC) Project, is scheduled to be complete by 2028, just in time for the Olympics.
Lisa Trifiletti, principal of Trifiletti Consulting and the ITC project manager, gave a presentation on the project at the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Los Angeles’ Urban Marketplace. She spoke about not only the traffic concerns, but also the people mover.
“The city’s goals and the mayor’s goals and objectives were not just to reinvigorate and get people to the sports and entertainment, housing, and employment center, but it was also to do it in a way that brought revitalization up and down the corridor, including the historic core.”
There are several vacant storefronts along Market Street, so a people mover that starts in that area will bring more foot traffic to that business district, bringing more business to retail shops and restaurants.
The main concern for Inglewood residents is the traffic problem, which the people mover is being created to solve.
“This whole thing is to reduce congestion on event day,” Trifiletti said. “This is designed to move 10,000 to 12,000 people during peak hour. We’ll also provide parking in the downtown area because there isn’t enough parking for 70,000 seats at the stadium. There are about 12,000 parking spaces at the stadium.”
There will be parking in the downtown area, near the people mover station, and people can take the Metro rail into Inglewood. This project will also help Inglewood residents move around and leave the city quicker.
“It also works in reverse,” Trifiletti said. “People who live in Inglewood and have jobs in other places can use the transit system to be able to get out into the larger L.A. area.”
This plan is well in motion, and the city is working fast to start construction and have the project up and running before the Olympics.
“We’ve been able to get the environmental clearance completed,” Trifiletti said. “We’ve been able to get a third of the funding. We’re in the queue with the federal government to get another $650 million that we qualify for. We are identified by L.A. Metro as a priority project in their golden opportunity package for the Olympics. We’re working with Project Labor so that we have 35 percent local hires. We’re working with small businesses, disadvantaged businesses, and local schools. We have a very good relationship with Inglewood Unified School District, the Community College District and we’re establishing an apprenticeship program.”
There will be a summit held in June with the City of Inglewood, Cal Trans, L.A. Metro, Los Angeles International Airport, the City of Los Angeles, and local business owners to further discuss this project. For more information visit www.envisioninglewood.org.
