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An Olympic-Sized Achievement 

“If you prepare yourself at every point as well as you can, with whatever means you have, however meager they seem, you will be able to grasp opportunity for broader experience when it appears. Without preparation you cannot do it.” -- Eleanor Roosevelt

No quote better embodies the drive I see in the women and men of WTS-LA. That drive, that determination, defines who we are, where we wish to go, and how we’ll get there together. And when I look out on our horizon, we’re going to need that kind of grit and fortitude. In fact, one upcoming challenge looks to illustrate this for WTS-LA and Southern California.

Today, hosting the Olympic Games is considered a singular honor. But that was not always the case. For several games before Los Angeles hosted them in 1984, the Olympics were tarnished by extreme cost, boycotts, and even terrorism. So much so, that on May 21, 1984, Newsweek asked the rhetorical question on its cover, “Are the games dead?”

Los Angeles answered that question demonstrably in the positive. But even that wasn’t assured at the outset. In 1984, the competition to host the games came down to two cities: Los Angeles and…Tehran. But Tehran withdrew its bid because of civil and political turmoil and Los Angeles won by default. Then, Los Angeles did something very special, transforming the Games into the modern endeavor it is today.

Record ticket sales topped nearly 6 million and more than 180 million Americans watched the Olympics on TV. The Games generated more than $223 million profit, a benchmark for all future games. But there’s a critical aspect that helped the games succeed that usually goes unheralded, even unnoticed. While the Games introduced new technology and many other innovations, transportation served as the backbone that enabled those Olympics to succeed. Think about it. The 1984 Games were held in 23 different venues spread across 4,000 square miles. Without efficient, effective transportation, no Olympic Games would have been possible. And that brings us to today.

Transportation will once again play a major role in the 2028 Olympics. With venues stretching from the San Fernando Valley to Long Beach, these Games will also rely on transportation to deliver a seamless, thrilling, once-in-a-lifetime experience. Witness Twenty-eight by 28, the daring initiative to complete 28 signature transportation infrastructure projects by 2028 to facilitate the Olympics. Estimated by The Pacific Research Institute to cost nearly $43 billion, Twenty-eight by 28 will be a “game changer as it relates to mass transit,” according to Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts. So, transportation will most certainly play a pivotal role in the 2028 Games. But there is one element that is different than 1984. Women now help lead transportation in Southern California, holding some of the most prominent leadership positions.

From LA Metro to LAWA to Caltrans to LADOT to POLA/LB to the CHSRA to the California Transportation Agency—the list goes on and on of vital transportation agencies and organizations that are run by women or have women in decision-making roles. And it doesn’t stop there. At every level, from new workers to seasoned veterans, from bus drivers to CEOs, women fill the ranks in transportation organizations. Even the leader of LA28—the organization bringing the Games together—is a woman, LA28 CEO Kathy Carter. So, why do I write about this today?

While we prepare for the Olympic Games, it’s important that we celebrate our wins. If you compare where we were in 1984 to where we are now in terms of the WTS-LA mission, we have made meaningful improvement. Have we fulfilled the mission completely? No. But that does not mean we should ignore our progress. We must recognize and honor that achievement. Remember, successful, effective transportation often seems invisible to most. The women and men behind that transportation remain even more invisible and anonymous. Let’s change that. Let’s acknowledge our women transportation leaders. Let people know that transportation facilitates success for the Olympic Games and that women are behind the wheel—both literally and figuratively—driving transportation. Tell everyone you know. And if they don’t get it, bring them to a WTS-LA program so that they can see for themselves first hand. In fact, we welcome individuals to join us at our January 31st, 2024 program, highlighting the 2028 Olympic Games.

Women are making a very real difference in Southern California transportation. And WTS-LA is helping to make that happen. As Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Without preparation, you cannot do it.” For decades, we have prepared for this moment, where women would take their rightful place in helping to lead transportation in Southern California. So, let’s acknowledge that and then continue to prepare to further improve on our mission to advance women in transportation so that we can further the WTS-LA mission and as Eleanor Roosevelt said, grasp opportunity for broader experience when it appears.

Heather Anderson, PE | HNTB

WTS-LA 2023-2024 President