With more events coming to Long Beach, Supervisor Janice Hahn proposes water taxi service for 2028 Olympics
The city is set to host 11 events — more than double the initial 2017 bid from the city of Los Angeles.
While still years away, planning for the 2028 Olympic Games is well underway, with Long Beach set to host the most events outside of the city of Los Angeles itself. Shortly after additional events were announced, Supervisor Janice Hahn proposed water taxis between Long Beach and San Pedro as a “fun and innovative way to get people around during the games.”
“Long Beach will be the place to be in 2028 and I want us to get creative about how people will get there,” Hahn said in a statement Tuesday.
Hahn, who is chair of the Metro Board of Directors and chair of Metro’s Ad-Hoc Committee on the Olympic and Paralympic Games, proposed that the transportation agency operate the water taxi service. Hahn said she will introduce a motion during the next ad-hoc committee meeting to look into the feasibility of operating the service.
Hahn’s office noted that Long Beach Transit already operates the AquaBus within Rainbow Harbor as well as the AquaLink, which runs between the harbor and Alamitos Bay. It’s unclear if Metro would operate this existing fleet with expanded services to San Pedro or bring in additional watercraft, according to a spokesperson from Hahn’s office, who added that all options will be explored.
“If we really want the 2028 games to be ‘transit-first,’ we have to make transit fun for people and we can’t just rely on buses and trains,” Hahn said. “A water taxi would be a great time for visitors and residents alike and would keep traffic off our bridges.”
Hahn’s announcement comes on the heels of LA28 unveiling the most comprehensive venue plan to date, including additional events in Long Beach — as well as one event that moved away from the city.
The updated plan, announced Tuesday morning, will bring beach volleyball to Alamitos Beach, sport climbing to the convention center lot and target shooting inside the convention center. The new additions bring the total number of events staged in Long Beach to 11, joining handball, sailing, water polo, artistic swimming, canoe sprint, rowing, coastal rowing and open water swimming.
The triathlon, meanwhile, was relocated from Long Beach to Venice Beach — two cities that found themselves at the heart of a silly "controversy" at the end of the Paris Olympics last year.
(Click here for the full list of venues and events.)
The number of events to be hosted by Long Beach is now more than double than the five included in the initial 2017 proposal by the city of Los Angeles, according to city officials.
“We are proud to share our unique waterfront with athletes and fans from across the globe as we unite to celebrate the power of sport,” Mayor Rex Richardson said in a statement Tuesday, adding that the city is “excited to open our doors to the world and showcase the culture, diversity and spirit of our community.”
(Click here for a September 2024 Q&A with Richardson about the upcoming Olympic Games.)
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