Map of the planned Inglewood Transit Connector. Source: City of Inglewood
The Inglewood Transit Connector project had a lot going for it. The project featured an innovative split procurement and was proceeding through predevelopment and permitting at a remarkably fast pace for a transit project in California. It had a clear champion in Inglewood Mayor James Butts. It had broad regional support because it would connect Los Angeles new major sports and entertainment venues (SoFi Stadium and the Intuit Dome) to the LA’s broader rail transit system in time for the 2028 Olympics. And last but not least, the project had received federal and state grants amounting to more than $1.4 billion in funding commitments.
It still wasn’t enough, and the underlying reason why is simple: The Inglewood Transit Connector was up to a $2.2 billion cost estimate, for a line that is just 1.6 miles long with three stations. Transit projects at those costs are bound to face political challenges eventually.
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