The 2024 Paris Olympics are officially underway as of last Friday, July 26th. This is an exciting time of year for athletes worldwide who get to represent their country. It’s also a reminder of what’s to come for future Olympic host cities and to continue the hard work in preparing for the coming games.
Earlier this year, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass met with Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo to discuss how the city’s preparation for the Summer Games was going. Bass got a bracing reality check about preparing for the Olympics. Mayor Hidalgo warned her that four years is right around the corner and that 2028 will sneak up on you. This meeting encouraged Mayor Bass to ensure the city is ready come 2028.
California must continue building, repairing, and maintaining critical infrastructure projects. With the progress made to LAX’s people mover and Metro’s purple line, Southern California is pushing for more transportation to be accessible to its residents and visitors on a daily basis. In November, Mayor Hidalgo said that the Parisian transportation system, which already struggles with overcapacity issues daily, “won’t be ready” in time for the Olympics.
Officials in Los Angeles want to go even further and have compiled a list of 15 projects, such as countywide bus lanes, key station improvements, and light rail speed and operational improvements. These could help with the influx of athletes, tourists, and media. Mayor Bass recently announced that the Los Angeles region has secured $900 million in federal funds for infrastructure and rail expansion ahead of the Games.
With these funds, improvements can be made to Los Angeles’s infrastructure. Keeping up with improvements will help the state and residents and ensure the Olympics are a hit in Los Angeles.
Sources:
- https://www.nbcrightnow.com/olympics/using-the-paris-olympics-to-prepare-for-the-la-olympics-in-2028/article_452e3135-3ee0-5476-b475-3dd1c0fcd886.html
- https://www.politico.com/news/2024/03/12/paris-olympics-la-mayor-bass-california-00146581.
- https://la.urbanize.city/post/metro-refines-its-2028-olympics-wish-list
