Inglewood Transit Connector Engineering and Design

FULLY ELEVATED, ELECTRICALLY POWERED AUTOMATED PEOPLE MOVER (APM) CREATES A CRITICAL TRANSIT LINK FOR THE COMMUNITY SUPPORTING CONVENIENT TRANSIT TO CITY’S MAJOR EMPLOYMENT, COMMERCIAL, AND ENTERTAINMENT CENTERS

Our Client’s Challenge

The City of Inglewood has experienced exponential growth in the past decade, including the development of SoFi Stadium, Hollywood Park, and the Intuit Dome. The iconic Kia Forum sits just north of SoFi Stadium, and the Hollywood Casino is located to the south.

Inglewood recognized the need for underserved communities in the city to have convenient, multimodal connections between the greater Los Angeles County transit system and the city’s new employment, commercial, and activity centers. With substantial reductions in vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gas emissions, this project will simultaneously enhance community safety and mobility.

Our Solution

The Inglewood Transit Connector (ITC) project is a 1.6-mile, three-station, fully elevated, automated people mover (APM) proposed by the City of Inglewood. When complete, the ITC will close a critical first-mile/last-mile gap, connecting passengers between the Metro Crenshaw/LAX Line and Downtown Inglewood’s major event and activity centers. The ITC project also includes a maintenance storage facility, two traction power substations for providing power to the system, and surface parking facilities at the Market Street/Florence Avenue station and the 150 Market Street lot. The project is scheduled for completion in 2029.

Gannett Fleming is providing a wide range of infrastructure engineering and design consultant services for the project, including the automated transit system (ATS) self-propelled technology requirements. The vehicles are smaller than traditional heavy rail technology and can maneuver the tight curves required for site-specific conditions. The system will be fully automated to serve an estimated 4 million passengers annually, significantly reducing vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gases while enhancing community safety and mobility.

The ATS trains will operate in a pinched-loop mode with automatic train control on dual tracks along the alignment, wherein trains follow each other and switch back at the end-of-line stations to make the return journey on the adjacent track. Design and construction are planned for the trains to be operated in multiple configurations.

Operating under a Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Maintain model, the ITC project can accommodate an estimated 4 million passengers annually. Gannett Fleming acts as the lead technical manager, which includes developing the 30% plans and technical specifications, as well as coordinating the various concept development alternatives.

Engaging the community and stakeholders early, along with proactively identifying design and mitigation issues, has been crucial in developing a clear and technically feasible project concept. Gannett Fleming also leads discussions on equity regarding technology issues. These include farebox collections and station platform accessibility for elderly and disabled patrons.

Key Features

APM system designed to move 7,000 to 12,000 people hourly during peak ridership.
Three stations, a maintenance and storage facility, and multiple public parking lots.
Multiple train configurations available for workday travel or special events.

Outcomes

Enhances public health by improving air quality and reducing greenhouse gases.
Provides direct and convenient transit connections to Inglewood’s major employment, commercial, housing, and entertainment centers.
Improves transit mobility options for underserved communities.