Legalities of hosting the Olympics
In four years it will be Los Angeles’ turn for the third time to host the Olympic Games, and the city has secured a significant funding package of $900 million that has been signed into law.
The Biden administration in March this year allowed the spending through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act.
The Los Angeles metro system will receive a huge $709.9 million from the law alongside the city’s transportation spending law for the current financial year, which will be directed towards the East San Fernando Valley Light Rail Transit Project.
Additionally the Los Angeles region is set to be delivered $160 million in new federal grant funding for street and transit infrastructure, traffic safety and to improve connections between neighbourhoods.
Senator outlines further public investment schemes
The California Senator Alex Padilla has also announced $139 million arriving from federal funding as part of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority “Removing Barriers and Creating Legacy” project.
It’s an assignment that is designed to reconnect communities in the city across highway and arterial barriers.
The main aims of the investment is to improve bus speed and reliability, alongside first and last project strategies and mobility hubs that will upgrade connectivity in the LA County to one million disadvantaged Angelenos.
It’s a grant from the Reconnecting Communities Pilot and Neighbourhood Access and Equity programmes, that were created and established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which other projects will also benefit from.
Overall $30 million has been allocated to the Alameda County Transportation Commission for the Lake Merritt to Bayfair Project, that is to develop 10 miles of street improvements in the cities of Oakland and San Leandro.
Connectivity between communities is again the main driving force of the project, where the funding will be directed to shared-use paths, protected bikeways, neighbourhood routes, protected intersection treatments and pedestrian crossing safety.
Other projects include $9.96 million that is to be diverted to a three-way partnership between LA Metro, Caltrans, and LA County Public Works, that will construct a pedestrian and bicycle overcrossing adjacent to the existing Humphreys Avenue bridge.
Also the Port of Los Angeles is to be modernized with a $5 million grant to support a pedestrian bridge that can also support emergency vehicles.
It is felt that there is no time to waste to develop the city and considerably strengthen its infrastructure in time for the next Olympics, a sentiment that grew during a visit by a delegation from Los Angeles to the Paris Games.
The vision of the investments are to ensure that the Games in four years time runs as smoothly as possible, but also to leave a legacy of a lasting public services where mobility and transports connections have been improved.
It’s also hoped that a bus service with increased efficiency will open up more job opportunities.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was signed into law in August 2022, and is seen as a historic opportunity to repair public infrastructure and transport links.
Also the vision is to make the largest investments in the nation’s history to combat climate change, and to promote long term sustainability.
Law enforcement team sent to Paris
A party of 28 from the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department joined officers from all over the world to support law enforcement in Paris.
While they are there to protect American citizens and the athletes who are competing at the Games, their visit is also to help prepare the city and its level of security in hosting the next Olympics.
A statement from the sheriff’s office said that a diverse group has been sent to gain invaluable experience, to ensure that the Los Angeles Games is delivered safely and without major incidents.
Specialised units were sent including patrol and canine teams, and discussions on public safety strategies have taken place with law enforcement officers from different parts of the world.
In January the Secretary of Homeland Security declared that the area surrounding the Games a National Special Security Event, where the formal planning processes for the designation began in June and the first meeting of the Executive Steering Committee took place.
The committee comprises of senior representatives from federal, state and local law enforcement and public safety partners.
Such a designation is typically based on the size and significance of the event, and the amount of people who will attend.
The federal government will allow significant resources to police a major event like the Olympics, in a partnership with state and local law enforcement bodies as well as public safety organisations.
In addition the United States Secret service will be authorised to take its role as the lead agency in the implementation of a security plan.