Transit Triumph or Traffic Tangle?
Evaluating Los Angeles’ Transit Equity for the 2028 Car-Free Olympics.
Where, How, Who?
Building the Puzzle of LA28 Accessibility
WHERE: The Olympic Venues
HOW: The Metro & Bus Network
WHO: The People Behind the Commute
We’re assuming everyone in Los Angeles County might want to attend an event or at least travel to a venue during the Olympics. Each Census Tract represents a slice of the population—families, students, seniors, workers—who all have different schedules and transit needs. In this study, we’re treating those neighborhoods as “demand points”, asking: Can public transit serve them within a reasonable travel time?
Exploring the Reach: Mapping the Service Areas
Unpacking the Scores: A Closer Look at Accessibility
After generating the service areas for each Olympic venue, we used a Two-Step Floating Catchment Area (2SFCA) method to calculate public-transit accessibility for every Census Tract in Los Angeles.
Equity in Focus: Weighted 2SFCA
After calculating accessibility indices (AI) for different demographic groups, the next step is to see how fairly these resources are distributed across Los Angeles. That’s where the Lorenz Curve and Gini Coefficient come in.
Pinpointing Disparities: Local Moran’s I
While the Gini Coefficient reveals the overall level of inequality, we still need a geographic lens to determine where these disparities are most pronounced. Using Local Moran’s I, we identified clusters—or “hot spots” and “cold spots”—of high or low accessibility across Los Angeles.
From Insight to Impact: Policy Pathways for an Equitable LA28
Our layered analysis—spanning the Weighted 2SFCA, Gini Coefficients, Lorenz Curves, and Local Moran’s I—reveals where and why transit accessibility falls short for different demographic groups. Now, we can transform these insights into a roadmap of targeted, data-backed strategies. By pairing maps and metrics with real-world evidence, we ensure these solutions aren’t just theoretical—they’re actionable steps toward a more inclusive 2028 Olympics and beyond.
Reference
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