Meeting_Body
REVISED
REGULAR BOARD MEETING
JUNE 26, 2025
Preamble
Motion by:
DIRECTORS HAHN, SOLIS, MITCHELL, DUPONT-WALKER, SANDOVAL, AND BASS
Dodger Stadium Express Motion
Since its launch in 2010, the Dodger Stadium Express (DSE) has provided safe, affordable, and sustainable transportation for hundreds of thousands of fans traveling to Dodger games. The service has become a fixture of Los Angeles's life and culture, and a key component of Metro’s event-based transit offerings. Since service operations began, ridership has increased 206%, from 122,000 riders in 2010 to 373,806 in the 2024 season.
In 2014, Metro expanded the service to include a route from the Harbor Gateway Transit Center, offering a critical connection from South Los Angeles.
For each of the 86 Dodgers home games, the DSE provides fans with a fareless single-seat ride along dedicated bus routes to Dodger Stadium from Union Station and the South Bay, offering a convenient and affordable alternative to driving. In 2010, the DSE service from Union Station was established and funded through an annual grant from the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC) work program. In 2015, the DSE was expanded to include a route from the South Bay funded by the Express Lanes Net Toll Reinvestment grant program.
However, the state and county grants that originally funded the service have since expired. Metro now bears 100% of the operational costs of both routes. While the Los Angeles Dodgers have long allowed the use of their brand in marketing materials, they have not contributed financially to the service, despite benefiting from its success in bringing thousands of fans to the stadium each season.
Despite the success of the DSE, a thorough access study of Dodger Stadium has not been conducted in over thirty years, since 1990 when the LA County Transportation Commission prepared the Dodger Stadium Access Study, which analyzed feasible transportation alternatives to and from Dodger Stadium. Since that study was conducted, attendance at Dodger games has increased, and the Stadium has been regularly used as a forum for other special events, drawing large crowds of visitors to the Stadium throughout the year.
To ensure the long-term viability of the Dodger Stadium Express and to continue providing safe, affordable, sustainable travel to Dodger Games for thousands of fans, it is time to initiate a formal conversation with the Los Angeles Dodgers to explore a funding partnership that supports the service's sustainability and growth.
Subject
SUBJECT: DODGER STADIUM EXPRESS MOTION
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RECOMMENDATION
Title
APPROVE Motion by Hahn, Solis, Mitchell, Dupont-Walker, Sandoval, and Bass that the Board direct the Chief Executive Officer to:
A. Develop a proposal to partner with the Los Angeles Dodgers on opportunities for the organization to better support the Dodger Stadium Express, which may include, but is not limited to:
1. A per-ticket transit fee or contribution to help offset service costs;
2. A dedicated bus lane or operational improvements to expedite bus service by:
• Collaborating with the City of Los Angeles Department of Transportation to develop a transit strategy that supports reliable travel to the stadium;
3. Enhanced signage and wayfinding within and around the stadium to promote and facilitate the use of the service;
4. A Dodgers-led marketing campaign to encourage ridership on public transit;
B. Initiate discussions with the Dodgers organization to present and negotiate the terms of a potential partnership proposal; and
C. Report back to the Board within 120 days with an update on the status of the partnership conversations and any proposed next steps.