DPA
Paris
Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass is adamant that the vehicle-mad city can go car-free at the 2028 Summer Olympics.
LA organizers held a press conference on the penultimate day of the Paris Games on Saturday to further explain their concept four years’ from now.
The Californian metropolis is famous for its raft of highways and few Americans choose to get around without a car. But Bass believes her goal is achievable, but only with a lot of buses thrown in.
"We’re already working to create jobs by expanding our public transportation system in order for us to have a no-car Games. That’s a feat in Los Angeles - we’ve always been in love with our cars,” she said.
"But we’re already working to ensure we can build a greener Los Angeles. No-car Games means that you will have to take public transportation to get to all the venues.
"In order to do that, we have been building out our transportation system. That’s not going to be enough. We’re going to need 3,000 buses that we will borrow from all around the country.” She said the 1984 Games in the city surprised many residents by not causing traffic jams, while the coronavirus pandemic and working from home have also changed some habits. Staggering the start time of the city’s workforce, which happened in 1984, is set to be repeated.
Girl power for host city mayors Battling homelessness and creating local opportunities are also key goals for LA 2028.
"We are going to get Angelenos housed - that is what we have been doing and we’re going to continue to do that,” she said.
"We want to make sure that we’re helping small local businesses that are creating local jobs and making lasting environmental and transportation improvements throughout Los Angeles.” Bass sees great symbolism in the handing over of the Olympic flag from Paris to LA in Sunday’s closing ceremony.
"Mayor (Anne) Hidalgo is the first woman to serve as mayor of Paris.
Being the first woman to serve as mayor of LA, we know that tomorrow we will be sharing a historic moment as I receive the flag from her,” she said.
"When we do that exchange of the flag, we will be sending a message to girls all across the world that they can do anything.
"They can run for the gold, and they can run for office. Or hopefully they’ll do both.”