Zero-Emissions Mobility for Inglewood Residents

Public transit

South LA

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

Inglewood has undergone rapid transformation with the development of SoFi Stadium and the Intuit Dome. While these venues position the city as a global destination, they’ve also introduced challenges in transit access, economic equity, and community inclusion. The Metro K Line connects to Downtown Inglewood, but remains over 1.5 miles from the stadiums—creating a first/last-mile gap. A proposed people mover, the Inglewood Transit Connector, faces a $385 million shortfall and uncertain completion before the 2028 Olympics. Meanwhile, residents—especially those with physical disabilities—lack reliable, culturally affirming options to reach this new economic hub. Small businesses report declining visibility and limited participation in venue-driven opportunities. Inglewood’s growth has outpaced its infrastructure. There is an urgent need for zero-emission, community-centered transit alternatives that reduce reliance on cars, prevent Uber/Lyft congestion, and connect people to opportunity.

Culture Cart is a Black-owned micro-transit startup operating electric pedicabs to address first/last-mile gaps in LA. This grant will fund a formal partnership between Culture Cart and the nonprofit A Step to Freedom to meet surging demand for equitable, affordable, climate-friendly transportation in Inglewood.

While the Inglewood Transit Connector remains stalled, our pilot at several SoFi Stadium events in Spring 2025 demonstrated that Culture Cart is a reliable and culturally affirming solution. We connect residents, workers, and event-goers from Metro’s K Line to the Kia Forum and SoFi/Intuit Dome campus—reducing traffic, emissions, and barriers to access. We also serve commuters who drive into the area, offering low-cost rides from more affordable parking lots farther from the venue.

This partnership ensures that the benefits of Inglewood’s economic growth are felt by the community. A Step to Freedom will serve as our hiring and workforce development partner, helping us scale our driver team through a local-hire model focused on residents impacted by homelessness, incarceration, or economic exclusion.

Together, we’ll expand mobility for all riders and this includes riders with disabilities, provide living wage jobs to Inglewood residents, and offer a community-rooted stopgap while federal infrastructure catches up. This model doesn’t just fill a transit gap—it reimagines what accessible, just transportation can look like.

Inglewood will have a reliable, safe, zero-emission connection between the Downtown Inglewood Metro Station, affordable off-site parking lots, and the SoFi/Intuit Dome campus—bridging a major infrastructure gap. Culture Cart will hire and train 20 Inglewood and South LA residents into living wage roles, providing life-changing employment for individuals impacted by homelessness, incarceration, or economic exclusion. Riders with physical disabilities will gain access to door-to-gate transportation, reducing financial and physical barriers to large events. In the long term, this partnership will allow us to scale across LA, replicate our local-hire model, and demonstrate how public-private collaboration can close first/last-mile transit gaps while centering climate justice, economic equity, and joy.