Gov. Gavin Newsom is launching a “strike force” of state government workers to help reduce bureaucratic delays and smooth the way for the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Los Angeles.
Newsom plans to sign an executive order Friday to create the post of executive director of a new Olympic and Paralympic Games Delivery and Coordination Strike Team and named one of his senior advisors, Jamie Callahan, as the organization’s leader.
Callahan will try to ensure that more than a dozen state agencies and departments work with local governments in Los Angeles and neighboring cities and with the leaders of LA28, the private, nonprofit organization running Olympic and Paralympic events that are projected to cost $7.2 billion.
“California knows how to deliver on the world stage,” Newsom said in a statement, adding that coordination already had begun with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and with LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover. The governor said the strike force will “ensure California is prepared to deliver a world-class event that reflects the very best of our state.”
California agencies already had been dedicated to take on significant roles in the sporting spectacle.
The California Office of Emergency Services had been named to help coordinate a massive influx of police from around the state and the western U.S. to help protect athletes, officials and as many as 2 million fans expected to flood Southern California in the summer of 2028. (Ultimate authority over security rests with the U.S. Secret Service.)
The California Department of Transportation has agreed to make improvements to highways and freeways — and to mount a public relations campaign to try to coax visitors and locals out of their cars — to assure that athletes and officials get to events on time.
In making the announcement, the governor’s office touted state funding previously approved for the Summer Olympics. That included more than $100 million to upgrade and modernize Exposition Park, home to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Another $257 million was set aside last summer to create and enhance “mobility hubs” that connect pedestrians, bicyclists and bus and train riders.
Officials at Los Angeles County’s giant transit agency, L.A. Metro, have been lobbying hard to get even more funding from the state. They requested a total of $379 million in the most recent legislative session and expressed dismay at getting just $20 million.
Among the projects that the Legislature didn’t advance this year: $138 million for a cloud-based computing system, traffic cameras and video connectivity to help expand and integrate regional transportation management systems; $65 million for installing emergency tracks, where light rail trains could be diverted when they break down.
The emergency tracks are a particular concern as passenger loads are expected to double during the Games. Metro also didn’t get $23 million for additional improvements at transit hubs, including seating, shade structures, Wi-Fi, restrooms, hydration stations, vending machines and concessions.
The team created by Newsom will “identify opportunities to streamline permitting and improve communication across agencies, and support regional efforts to expand workforce and economic opportunities,” the governor’s office said.
Newsom praised Callahan as well-suited to the new post, saying he had more than 15 years advising California governors and had helped pave the way for previous major events, including last summer’s FIFA World Cup soccer tournament.
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