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Type:
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Motion / Motion Response
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Status:
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Agenda Ready
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On agenda:
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9/17/2025
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Final action:
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Title:
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RECEIVE AND FILE report on initial planning steps to Increasing Access to the Olympic and Paralympic Games Through Fan Zone Activations and Multi-Modal Transportation Options.
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Indexes:
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Accessibility, Budgeting, Central Los Angeles subregion, City of Los Angeles, Downtown Los Angeles, El Monte, El Monte Busway, El Monte Transit Station Enhancement, First/Last Mile, Grant Aid, Guidelines, Hubs, Los Angeles City Council District 14, Los Angeles Union Station, Maps, Metro Rail A Line, Metro’s Open Streets Grant Program, Metrolink San Bernardino Line, Motion / Motion Response, Olympic games, Open Streets, Pedestrians, Program, San Fernando Valley subregion, South Bay Cities subregion, Street closure, Transit centers, Vehicle miles of travel, Westside Cities subregion, Zoning
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Meeting_Body
SPECIAL BOARD MEETING
SEPTEMBER 17, 2025
Subject
SUBJECT: METRO'S TRANSIT-FIRST FAN ZONE APPROACH
Action
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
RECEIVE AND FILE report on initial planning steps to Increasing Access to the Olympic and Paralympic Games Through Fan Zone Activations and Multi-Modal Transportation Options.
Issue
ISSUE
This report summarizes Metro's work to-date to respond to Board approved Motion 8 by Directors Solis, Dupont-Walker, and Hahn at its May 2025 meeting (Attachment A). The motion directs staff to work with Los Angeles County, the City of Los Angeles, other local jurisdictions, community-based organizations, and groups to identify potential Fan Zones for the 2028 Games; and report back within 120 days on initial planning steps. This report includes coordination efforts, potential locations, community engagement strategies, and how existing and planned transit infrastructure can be leveraged to support Fan Zone access.
Background
BACKGROUND
Los Angeles County is preparing to host two world-scale sporting events in the coming years: the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games (the 2028 Games). As an integral part of and key connector across Los Angeles County and the Southern California region, Metro is leading spectator transportation efforts for both major events with the goal of improving our transit system to ensure safe, sustainable, and seamless access to these major events, and for Angelenos to benefit from over the decades to come.
Fan Zones are public gatherings to view major sporting events that bring communities together, often coupled with entertainment, food, and cultural or recreational programming. Fan Zones* provide an ideal opportunity to increase free public access to residents and visitors alike to these events. Fan Zones may be located proximate to venues or farther away, spreading the spirit of the major events to communities with more limited access. While Metro is not responsible for the development and implementation of Fan Zones, Metro is developing a plan to support high quality transit access to Transit-First Fan Zones, as directed in Board Motion 8.
*Fan Zones may also be referred to as Fan Fests, activations, watch parties, live sites, etc. They may be officially designated by major event hosts such as the Los Angeles Sports Entertainment Commission (LASEC) and LA28 or community-led events. For the purpose of this report, the term Fan Zones encompasses all these terms unless otherwise specified.
In the 2024 Paris Games, Fan Zones reflected local community culture and showcased both iconic attractions and neighborhood gathering places. Led by the City of Paris, free Fan Zones were available to neighborhoods throughout the City. Some Fan Zones catered more toward large crowds with over 10,000 attendees enjoying the festivities daily, while others were more community-focused and time limited, with just a few hundred attendees on specific days of the week. Early Fan Zone pilots were helpful in testing and shaping successful Fan Zones for the 2024 Games.
For the 2026 FIFA World Cup, LASEC developed a process for selecting Official Fan Zones, and it is anticipated that the number of Fan Zones will be limited. However, it is anticipated that a number of community activations or community watch parties, which will be similar to Fan Zones but likely smaller in scale, will be established throughout the County in celebration of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. LASEC has provided guidance for community activations. For the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, LA28 anticipates releasing a Fan Zone toolkit with branding and other guidelines in late 2025, and that there will be numerous official Fan Zones varying in size and location throughout the County (and beyond).
To cultivate Fan Zones across Los Angeles County, the Board of Supervisors passed a motion introduced by Supervisor Solis in June 2025. The motion directs the County Chief Executive Office to develop a task force with multiple County departments, cities, and Metro to coordinate Fan Zones for the 2028 Games, and to develop a toolkit to share with cities across the County that includes topics such as Fan Zone quick build ideas, multi-modal access, and the engagement of arts and cultural partners. The following discussion is about how Metro can support the County as the County and local jurisdictions identify potential Fan Zone opportunities.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
Metro's goal in supporting the County and Cities in identifying locations for Fan Zones is to encourage Fan Zone locations that consider Transit-First accessibility. These would be locations which are highly accessible via high-frequency transit, and, if implemented, can result in several transportation benefits. They can encourage residents and visitors alike to try Metro for the first time and reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) during the upcoming major events. Transit-First Fan Zones can inspire legacy improvements, such as long-term street transformations that prioritize public gathering spaces in public rights of way. Finally, Transit-First Fan Zones located adjacent to high-demand transit stations can help to meter crowds and maintain a safe station environment.
Promoting Transit-First Fan Zones is also a necessity to ensure accessibility. Given the demands related to the Games Enhanced Transit Service (GETS), which will transport workers and spectators to venues, Metro may not have significant capacity to run additional or modify existing bus service or shuttles to/from Fan Zones. Fan Zone transit access should plan to rely on existing high-capacity transit operations, which is generally available on Metro Rail, with high frequency bus lines providing more limited secondary capacity.
To identify and promote Transit-First Fan Zones and the numerous benefits as noted above, Metro staff developed preliminary criteria to evaluate Fan Zone locations (Attachment B). The criteria build on the priorities established in Board Motion 8 and include the following criteria:
1. Transit and Multi-Modal Accessibility
2. Geographic Dispersion and Equity
3. Event Readiness
4. Reflects Local Culture
5. Cross Agency Coordination.
Metro will offer to work with potential Fan Zone hosts to evaluate location options against the scoring criteria and provide a qualitative assessment of pros and cons.
Fan Zones are considered Transit-First if they earn at least 4.5 out of a maximum of six points collectively in criteria 1a: proximity to high-capacity and high-frequency rail and/or bus service, and 1b: first-last mile and ADA accessibility of the site. In addition, Metro will award a bonus point if the Fan Zone is located in an Equity Focus Community (EFC) and will qualitatively assess criteria 2-5 for Fan Zone hosts' consideration and may integrate scores and an updated threshold related to these criteria in the future. Transit-First Fan Zones are eligible for promotion through Metro's official channels as described below in Strategy 3. The criteria may be adjusted over time as appropriate to most accurately identify Fan Zones that meet the intent of Board Motion 8.
Findings
Following the passage of Motion 8, staff have coordinated both internally and externally on how Metro can support Transit-First Fan Zones, including establishing and facilitating an internal working group and holding over a dozen meetings with external partners to understand their Fan Zone efforts. As a public transit agency that does not have jurisdiction over typical Fan Zone locations (parks, streets, public plazas, etc.), Metro's role can only be to encourage and support Transit-First Fan Zones. Fan Zone locations will generally be selected and led by Fan Zone hosts, such as the County and local jurisdictions potentially in coordination with consulates, Country houses, the Los Angeles Sport and Entertainment Commission (LASEC), and LA28. The countywide Fan Zone approach is being led by the Los Angeles County Chief Executive Office, per the aforementioned June 2025 Board of Supervisors motion.
Metro staff have identified three key Fan Zone strategies to support Transit-First Fan Zones.
Strategy 1: Co-hosting a Fan Zone at Union Station in partnership with Adjacent Jurisdictions
Union Station, owned by Metro, and operated by the Union Station Joint Management Council (consisting of Metro, Amtrak and Metrolink), is Southern California's transit hub in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles. During the upcoming major events it will serve as a critical connection to World Cup and Games-related activities throughout Southern California. In addition, Union Station is located in Los Angeles County Supervisorial District 1 in close proximity to La Plaza de Cultura y Artes located on County property, and in Los Angeles City Council District 14 immediately adjacent to El Pueblo De Los Angeles Historical Monument, home to Olvera Street and other cultural centers within the City of Los Angeles. Metro has been preparing to host a Fan Zone at Union Station that can be scaled based on funding available to support the event, with activations for the parking lot fronting Alameda Street. Metro is committed to submitting official Fan Zone/Fan Fest proposals to LASEC and LA28 during the open application period. In addition, Metro intends to coordinate with the City of Los Angeles and any partnering hosts that are considering a Fan Zone at El Pueblo. This collaboration is still early but has the potential to offer residents and visitors alike a vibrant, festive, and uniquely L.A. experience in Downtown Los Angeles.
Strategy 2: Participating in up to one Fan Zone per Supervisorial District in Los Angeles County
Metro is committed to increasing access to Fan Zones and the festivities surrounding the upcoming major events for local communities, with a focus on promoting local culture. To support these benefits, Metro will invest up to $50,000 in matching funds for one designated Transit-First County-led Fan Zone in each Supervisorial District (SD) for the World Cup. Metro will work with each interested Supervisor and County staff to identify Fan Zones that meet the Transit-First designation. In SD1, Metro is already committed to financially supporting a Fan Zone at Union Station and is investing significant resources in El Monte Transit Center (additional information below), thus no additional matching funds would be available for this district.
In addition to financial support, Metro will promote these Fan Zones through a variety of measures, such as social media, press, Metro's trip planning app, and a forthcoming Metro cultural map. Metro would not be leading any Fan Zone applications, programming, or sponsorship requests for these Fan Zones. In addition to providing a Transit-First event experience for Angelenos, Metro and partner agencies can promote transit connections to these Transit-First Fan Zones and garner lessons learned to apply to future 2028 Games Fan Zones.
Strategy 3: Identifying and promoting Transit-First Fan Zones hosted by others
Metro will cross-promote Fan Zones that have been designated as Transit-First using several marketing communications channels, including on a dedicated event website landing page, on Metro's social media and owned channels, through event-focused earned media outreach and at Metro's Customer Care Centers. Metro recognizes that some Fan Zone hosts may want to keep the event local and will always seek confirmation from the host before promoting the event. While Metro cannot support all Fan Zones financially, providing these in-kind marketing and promotional resources can support the transportation system during-and has the potential to leave a lasting Transit-First legacy beyond-the upcoming major events.
Additional Coordination and Related Support
In addition to the three strategies noted above, Metro is supporting the following activities that either directly support Fan Zones or may be leveraged to support Fan Zones:
* El Monte Transit Center Fan Zone/Mobility Hub: Board Motion 8 directed staff to explore applying existing funding to support a Fan Zone/Mobility Hub at the El Monte Transit Center. In response, Metro is coordinating meetings with the City of El Monte and the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments to understand their interest in hosting a Fan Zone at the El Monte Transit Station that leverages existing Metro resources being invested in the station area for the 2028 Games. Investments include the construction of a Mobility Hub that can serve as a venue for a Fan Zone, and approximately $1.5 million for an Open and Slow Streets Grant both funded by a Federal Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods (RCN) grant that can be activated in support of a Fan Zone. The group is currently considering options and will engage additional stakeholders as applicable.
* Mobility Hubs: As noted above, mobility hubs are ideal locations for Fan Zones, offering a transit-rich location with public space investments. Metro currently has funding to deliver five mobility hubs throughout the County for the 2028 Games and is seeking additional funding to deliver up to nine mobility hubs.
* Station Area Activations Metro has piloted various station area activations that include markets, arts and cultural programming, and vending/revenue generating activities to heighten excitement for transit connections to regional and community events. In 2025, Metro launched Markets at Metro, a program funded through a $900,000 Visionary Seed Fund grant, which activates three transit stations with vendors, cultural programming, and other activities on a regular basis. Current stations include Leimert Park and Willowbrook/Rosa Parks, with Westlake MacArthur Park coming later in 2025 or 2026. These stations and the programming model being piloted offer a strong foundation for Fan Zones, providing existing physical and organizational infrastructure to activate the space for crowds of varying sizes. In addition, the program currently has funding to operate through the 2026 World Cup.
* Open and Slow Streets Grant Program: Metro has tailored Cycles 6 and 7 of the Open and Slow Streets Grant Program to support connections to venues and Fan Zones for the World Cup and the Games. $10 million in competitive grant funds will be available to jurisdictions across the County, and an additional $5 million in RCN federal funding will be available for connections to three Mobility Hubs (including El Monte).
* Kit of Parts for Temporary Bike and Pedestrian Pathways and Mobility Hubs: Metro is developing designs for a modular "kit of parts" to support local jurisdictions in implementing jurisdiction-led temporary and quick build active transportation pathways that fill first/last mile gaps and create temporary mobility hubs to improve modal transfers and access to major event venues, and could be deployed at Fan Zones that take place in public streets and right of way, or to link to Fan Zones. The kit of parts is meant to activate and enhance temporary street and lane closures to accommodate high pedestrian/bike volumes near venues, and establish a cohesive look, feel, and function to enhance the venue access experience.
* Supporting Jurisdictions in Identifying Eligible Local Funds: Metro can assist jurisdictions in identifying local transportation funds that may be eligible for funding street closures associated with Fan Zones and associated transportation needs.
* General Coordination: Metro is committed to coordinating effectively and efficiently across agencies and organizations. Metro is working with partner organizations to coordinate mapping efforts and tools in order to harness and share existing resources and not duplicate efforts. In addition, Metro organized two sessions on Fan Zones and Open Streets at the Games Regional Transportation Summit, open to jurisdictions across LA County, and has offered to partner with the County to present on transportation and Fan Zone opportunities at upcoming 88 for 28 convenings, which brings together all 88 cities across the County to provide resources and coordinate on the upcoming major events. Metro will share our interest in assessing Transit-First Fan Zones at these meetings and through other methods to invite coordination.
Official Fan Zones Guidelines and Funding Opportunities
While Metro has taken a proactive approach to evaluating Transit-First Fan Zones, formal Fan Zone guidelines have not been released by the LASEC on behalf of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, or LA28 on behalf of the 2028 Games. Once those guidelines have been released and determined, Metro and potential Fan Zone hosts will have a better understanding of requirements necessary to fully prepare for official Fan Zones. As noted above, it is anticipated that LASEC will authorize up to five official "Fan Fests" for the FIFA World Cup with the request for proposals being released in August. In addition to official World Cup Fan Fests, community Fan Zones are expected throughout the County that will not be officially branded but will stream matches for large crowds. LA28 anticipates releasing guidelines for Fan Zones in late 2025 and has indicated that there won't be a limit on the number of Fan Zones, but official LA28 Fan Zones will have specific guidelines for marketing and branding.
In addition to the outstanding need for additional clarity on Fan Zones guidelines from major event organizers, it is anticipated that the ability to generate sponsorships to support Fan Zones will be very limited. Official LA28 or LASEC Fan Zones will have marketing restrictions that will limit sponsorships to official sponsors or potentially sponsors who will not compete with official sponsors. In addition, sponsorship dollars across Southern California during the major events will be highly sought after, and Fan Zones, especially those that are not the largest official Fan Zones, aren't likely to attract a high level of sponsorship dollars.
Determination_Of_Safety_Impact
DETERMINATION OF SAFETY IMPACT
Transit-First Fan Zones will not have any adverse safety impacts. Transit-First Fan Zones include an evaluation of first/last-mile pedestrian and bicycle connections that will promote safe and accessible travel to and from Transit-First Fan Zones.
Equity_Platform
EQUITY PLATFORM
Prioritizing equitable access to Fan Zones is a priority for Metro. Fan Zones provide access to participate in the upcoming major events, thereby reducing barriers to participation such as ticket entries to venues. Equitable Fan Zones development should prioritize access for people living in EFCs and locations that are easily accessed by public transit, accessible for people with disabilities, and culturally welcoming and relevant. The Fan Zone criteria developed by Metro integrates all of these elements in the criteria to support Transit-First Fan Zones that promote equity. To further support equity, the County in their lead role in facilitating Fan Zones, and Fan Zone hosts should consider engaging communities in developing and delivering culturally relevant programming at Fan Zones.
Vehicle_Miles_Traveled_Outcome
VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED OUTCOME
VMT and VMT per capita in Los Angeles County are lower than national averages, the lowest in the SCAG region, and on the lower end of VMT per capita statewide, with these declining VMT trends due in part to Metro's significant investment in rail and bus transit.* Metro's Board-adopted VMT reduction targets align with California's statewide climate goals, including achieving carbon neutrality by 2045. To ensure continued progress, all Board items are assessed for their potential impact on VMT.
As part of these ongoing efforts, this item is expected to contribute to further reductions in VMT. This item supports Metro's systemwide strategy to reduce VMT through planning activities that will improve and further encourage transit ridership and active transportation. Metro's Board-adopted VMT reduction targets were designed to build on the success of existing investments, and this item aligns with those objectives.
*Based on population estimates from the United States Census and VMT estimates from Caltrans' Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS) data between 2001-2019.
Implementation_of_Strategic_Plan_Goals
IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS
The recommendation advances several strategic plan goals including:
Goal #1: High-quality mobility options - supports Transit-First Fan Zones and programs that connect people from Fan Zones to high quality transit options.
Goal #3:?Enhancing communities and lives - offers a strategy to engage the broader community in the upcoming major events that are accessible, culturally relevant, and free to enjoy.
Goal #4:?Transform LA County through collaboration and leadership - sets out a plan to collaborate with other public agencies, communities, and organizations to support a countywide approach to Fan Zones.
Alternatives_Considered
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED
The Board could choose not to support or engage in Fan Zones, which would require less staff capacity and funding. However, Metro also benefits from playing a supportive role on Fan Zones. The benefits include supporting access to major events as a member of the community, reducing vehicle trips related to driving to less transit-accessible Fan Zones and the associated externalities, and attracting new riders to our system during the major events. Additionally, Metro could play a larger role in funding and leading Fan Zones, however, as a transportation agency, investing additional time and resources in a lead role in Fan Zones is beyond the agency's scope and funding resources, drawing capacity and resources from Metro's critical transportation role.
Next_Steps
NEXT STEPS
Staff will continue to advance Metro's Transit-First Fan Zone work to partner with other agencies and hosts to support Transit-First Fan Zones in advance of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, as outlined in this Board Report. Metro plans to engage consultant support to assist staff in fulfilling Metro's role in supporting Transit First Fan Zones.
Staff will report back to the Board on progress in six months.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - Board Motion 8, May 2025
Attachment B - Preliminary Transit-First Fan Zone Criteria
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Nicole Ferrara, Deputy Chief Planning Officer, (213) 547-4322
Christopher Reyes, Senior Director, Operations, (213) 418-3119
Lilian De Loza-Gutierrez, Executive Officer, Customer Experience, (213) 922-7479
Maya Emsden, Executive Officer, Customer Experience, (213) 922-2720
Ernesto Chaves, Senior Executive Officer, Office of Strategic Innovation, (213) 547-4362
Marcel Porras, Deputy Chief Innovation Officer, (213) 922-4605
Monica Bouldin, Deputy Chief Customer Experience Officer, (213) 922-4081
Yvette Rapose, Deputy Chief Customer Experience Officer (213) 418-3154
Reviewed_By
Ray Sosa, Chief Planning Officer, (213) 547-4274
Seleta Reynolds, Chief Innovation Officer, (213) 922-4098
Conan Cheung, Chief Operations Officer, (213) 418-3034
Jennifer Vides, Chief Customer Experience Officer, (213) 922-4060
Digitally approved by Stephanie Wiggins, Chief Executive Officer
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