Metro moves forward with aerial tram to Dodger Stadium

Elon Musk has some serious competition in his plans to get Dodger fans to and from games.

Metro CEO Phil Washington announced Thursday that the agency had signed a letter of intent with a company called Aerial Rapid Transit Technologies that plans to build an aerial tram running between Union Station and the stadium.

The letter will allow the agency to begin negotiations with the company in order to allow the proposal to move forward.

ARTT is led by Drew McCourt, the son of former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt. The company revealed plans for the project in April, estimating it would cost about $125 million to build.

According to Martha Welborne, project manager for the ARTT system, the tram will “have the capacity to move thousands of people every hour.”

Welborne said that, if all goes according to plan, the project is on track to open by 2022.

The tram would be privately funded and privately operated, but the company has asked Metro to “take the lead role in the procedural requirements for route selection and right of way,” according to a statement from ARTT issued earlier this year.

Meanwhile, tech entrepreneur Elon Musk revealed ambitions in August to build an underground transit line to the stadium that would carry riders between the venue and a nearby Metro station on game days. The project is undergoing environmental review.

Metro already offers free shuttle service before and after games between the stadium and Union Station, as well as the Harbor Gateway Transit Center.

• Aerial tram proposed for Dodger Stadium [Curbed LA]
• Elon Musk’s Boring Company pitches high-speed tunnel to Dodger Stadium [Curbed LA]
• Dodger Stadium: The ultimate guide to LA’s ballpark [Curbed LA]