Just southwest of Los Angeles, Inglewood is a majority-minority city that has seen a major resurgence over the last decade, spurred by strategic new development projects and infrastructure investments. A major component of Envision Inglewood, the City of Inglewood’s updated transportation plan and multimodal improvement program, the ITC is an approximately 1.6-mile-long automated people mover system. It will be the key connection between LA Metro’s K Line to Inglewood’s new mixed-housing and employment centers, as well as public amenities, most notably a world-class sports and entertainment district anchored by the SoFi Stadium, new home of the NFL’s LA Chargers and the LA Rams; the renovated Kia Forum; and Intuit Dome, the new venue for the NBA’s LA Clippers.
Historically, Inglewood has been underserved by transit alternatives. The opening of the K Line in October 2022 brought Inglewood its first LA Metro rail line and improved transit access. However, a good portion of the city is not within walking distance of the K Line’s Downtown Inglewood Station, including the sports and entertainment district. Following an extensive study, planning, and discussion among the City, LA Metro, and key stakeholders, it was determined that an automated self-contained solution like the ITC was the most viable and cost-effective way to provide direct connection to the K Line and fill in the “first/last mile gap” for travelers without making any adverse impacts to LA Metro’s rail mainline operations.
The ITC is a fully elevated, electrically powered fixed-guideway transit system that includes three stations along a 1.6-mile route that will serve major housing, employment, commercial, and entertainment hubs. The project includes a dedicated facility for vehicle maintenance and storage to ensure the smooth operation of the entire transit system.
AECOM is the program manager for the ITC, overseeing the project’s design, construction, financing, operations, and maintenance. Our advisory services have been crucial in achieving key project milestones, such as establishing the project scope, budget, and schedule. Our team is guiding the project procurement process by creating the Request for Proposals (RFP); outlining all technical requirements needed to secure a Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Maintain (DBFOM) contractor; and overseeing all contract negotiations, administration and technical compliance during the final design and commissioning phases.
Our technical team is leveraging its expertise in risk mitigation, quality control and safety certification to support this project. This includes civil works such as guideways, stations, maintenance facilities, roads, construction reviews, phasing, implementation, cost estimating, scheduling, and advising on automated transit system operating systems. The team is also providing support for the transit system architecture and urban design. Quality control for the project has been established and is continually monitored to adhere to strict coordination with federal, state, and local agencies and jurisdictions.
When completed, the Inglewood Transit Connector will encourage public transit as a primary means of transportation between Inglewood and the greater Los Angeles region. It will help address traffic congestion and roadway capacity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by keeping more vehicles off the road. Just as importantly, it will help foster Inglewood’s economic revitalization, connecting the Inglewood community to local and regional employment opportunities and providing visitors convenient access to the city’s attractions and venues.