Graduation Year

2025

Document Type

Campus Only Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Politics and International Relations

Reader 1

Nancy Neiman

Reader 2

Lily Geismer

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Rights Information

2024 Zoe R Pancoast

Abstract

Los Angeles is set to host the Olympics in 2028. Hosting the games successfully requires careful planning, particularly in transportation. During the 1984 Olympics, the last time Los Angeles hosted, city officials made an explicit decision against using the games as a justification to accelerate construction of permanent highways or public transportation, instead relying completely on a temporary bus network. Transportation planning for the 2028 Olympics tells a different story. Given that the 2028 Olympics were initially framed as an opportunity to transform Los Angeles’ transportation landscape, I explore how and why politicians have used the Olympics to accelerate permanent transportation infrastructure in Los Angeles. I further analyze the progress of key rail projects to date. Ultimately, I find that the progress of these projects is not driven by ridership needs, but is instead dictated by the constraints of the Olympic timeline, agency budgets, the availability of external funding, and alignment with private, powerful interests. Because equitable public transportation is essential for access to opportunities and quality of life, it is crucial to examine whose interests are driving the acceleration of these projects, what cost this has to other priorities, and what the impacts are on Los Angeles residents who depend on public transit.

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