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Los Angeles has long been known as the American car culture capital, from busy freeways to classic-car street racing. The question now is: can it change in time for the Olympics?
With its nearly year-round sunny skies, some argue that LA is the perfect place for cycling.
Damian Kevitt, the executive director of Streets Are For Everyone (Safe), believes that while LA is a great community for runners, cyclists, and outdoor enthusiasts, the city is still heavily reliant on vehicles and speed.
Historically, cars have dominated the roads in LA, with its sprawling 460 square miles and notorious traffic jams.
Unlike cities like New York and Boston, where mass transit is widely used, only about 7% of Angelenos take transit to work, according to Neighborhood Data for Social Change. Additionally, only about 1% of people bike to work in LA.
However, with the upcoming 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympic Games expected to draw hundreds of thousands of spectators to the city, efforts are being made to improve transportation options.
In 2017, Los Angeles adopted the “Twenty-eight by ’28” transport plan to enhance mass transit options before the Olympics. Since then, new bike lanes have been appearing throughout the city.
Despite some resistance from car enthusiasts, LA voters in 2024 approved a measure to build more bike lanes and create more walkable spaces in the city.
While some are skeptical, others, like cyclist Mimi Holt, are eager for the city to connect its existing bike lanes, making cycling a safer and more viable option for commuting.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is pushing for a “transit first” Olympics, with plans for over 100 miles of bike lanes. However, progress has been slow, with only a handful of projects completed so far.
The city has secured funding from the Biden administration for rail projects, but more federal funding is needed to realize LA’s transit goals by 2028.
Despite some challenges, Mayor Bass remains optimistic about LA’s Olympic bid and hopes for support from the Trump administration.
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For people like Ms Holt, the idea of ditching their cars is appealing for various reasons.
“I can barely afford my car.” Getty Images Insurance es realmente caro, la gasolina es realmente cara y no es bueno para el medio ambiente”, dijo la Sra. Holt en una reunión para ver los senderos propuestos para bicicletas por todo Los Ángeles.
Pero mientras muchos angelinos dependen del transporte público para ir al trabajo y a la escuela, muchos otros que viven aquí nunca han tomado un autobús o se han aventurado bajo tierra hasta el metro, que a menudo se representa como un lugar infestado de delincuencia y distópico en los medios de comunicación.
Y muchos lugareños piensan que la idea de unos Juegos sin coches es absurda.
“Ese es un sueño maravilloso”, dijo Shivon Ozinga, una residente de Burbank que se opone a carriles bici adicionales cerca de su vecindario. Dijo que la ciudad es demasiado vasta, extensa y dependiente de los coches para cambiar.
“No puedo imaginar que suceda en tan poco tiempo dada nuestra cultura del coche aquí.”
Pero la alcaldesa Bass puede imaginar una revolución en el transporte y dijo que cree que los cambios en el transporte en Los Ángeles perdurarán mucho más allá de los Juegos Olímpicos y la Copa del Mundo de 2026.
“Como ciclista, ciertamente espero que así sea”, dijo.