Juan Matute, deputy director of the Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS) at UCLA Luskin, spoke to Dwell about Los Angeles’ pledge to expand transit options in time for the 2028 Summer Olympics, which will add an estimated 10 million ticketholders to an already crowded metropolis. Organizers who once promoted a “car-free games” now prefer the phrase “transit-first,” as a number of hoped-for projects will not be completed in time. “Moving ‘car-free games’ from marketing slogan to reality would have required the government sending clear, unambiguous signals that the city and county would de-prioritize automobile transportation relative to other modes, in order to bring modes like walking, biking and public transit to greater parity with driving,” Matute said. He said officials can still act to make streets safer and more multimodal ahead of the games. This fall, ITS will present the UCLA Lake Arrowhead Symposium exploring how Los Angeles can advance long-term transportation goals through mega-events such as the Olympics.