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

Which stadiums are we heading to?

HOW: The Metro & Bus Network

What’s our route to the Games?

WHO: The People Behind the Commute

Who’s actually going?

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

Martinez, E. (2024, November 3). Angelenos skeptical about the pressure 'car-free' Olympics will put on public transit.University Times. Retrieved from https://csulauniversitytimes.com/olympics-public-transit/

Müller, M. (2015). The Mega-Event Syndrome: Why so much goes wrong in Mega-Event planning and what to do about it. Journal of the American Planning Association, 81(1), 6–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/01944363.2015.1038292

Perelman, R. (2024, October 7). Los Angeles 2028: War of words heats up on “car-free” 2028 Olympics plan, from Orange County Supervisor: Activist “pipe dream.”The Sports Examiner. Retrieved from https://www.thesportsexaminer.com/los-angeles-2028-war-of-words-heats-up-on-car-free-2028-olympics-plan-from-orange-county-supervisor-activist-pipe-dream/

Quinton, G. J. (2024, August 12). The countdown is on for the 2028 Olympics. Here's where LA stands on key transit projects.LAist. Retrieved from https://laist.com/news/transportation/la28-olympics-transportation

Xia, Y., Chen, H., Zuo, C., & Zhang, N. (2022). The impact of traffic on equality of urban healthcare service accessibility: A case study in Wuhan, China. Sustainable Cities and Society, 86, 104130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2022.104130

Zagorsky, J. L. (2024, August 24). Will the ‘Car-Free’ Los Angeles Olympics work?WIRED. Retrieved from https://www.wired.com/story/how-the-car-free-los-angeles-olympics-will-work/

Lead Advisor

We extend our deepest gratitude to Dr. Siqin (Sisi) Wang (Associate Professor (Teaching) of Spatial Sciences, University of Southern California) for her ongoing mentorship and expert guidance throughout this project.

Project Team

Zixin Huang

Data Processing & StoryMap Design

Nan Wang

Theoretical Framework & Literature Review

Zongrong Li

Concept Development & Technical Support