Dodger Stadium shuttle begins tonight

Mass transit returns to Dodger Stadium this evening when city of Los Angeles DASH buses start running a new route between Union Station and the ballpark.

The flier, at right, shows the route -- it's basically from Union Station straight up Cesar Chavez and Sunset to Elysian Park. The buses run from 90 minutes before the game until one hour after -- for those who like to stay until the bitter end. The ride is free.

We wrote about this last month. The Dodgers wouldn't help pay for the service, saying that mass transit isn't their responsibility, rather it's a civic function. The team did promise to help publicize the bus, which it appears to be doing -- although I wonder if that trolley at the right can afford to eat at the stadium.

The Dodgers are also intent on developing some of the land around the stadium. That could mean to a loss of some parking or an increase in the number of people going up the hill, which perhaps is the reason that the team wants to get people on the bus.

Either way, it's intriguing that the team is embracing something that could cost it parking revenue. With parking at $15 a pop and the high price of gas, now seems the time to strike.

A prominent elected official once suggested to me that I bear a distinct resemblance to a rain cloud, and in that spirit I would like to suggest that another bus be added that picks fans up at some downtown eateries and bars. The last time I was at the stadium I whipped out a $20 bill to pay for two watery beers and discovered it wasn't enough; next time I'm eating and drinking before the game.

-- Steve Hymon

Flier: City of Los Angeles

Comments

[Jonathan Parfrey]

I completely agree with Frank, Bob and Rick. We need to improve bicycle and pedestrian access to Dodger Stadium. I often walk from Philippe's to the stadium. It takes me about 25 minutes. If there were stairs, it'd take 15.

[Hollywood Dodger Mark]

Hey, where's my shuttle to Albertson's - they are a big employer in LA and has a huge impact on the economy - I WANT A FREE SHUTTLE TO ALBERTSONS.

[Rick]

This is an improvement, the old bus shuttle that died a couple of years ago, stopped running before the game was over.

Since I gave up parking in the stadium a couple of years ago (after McCourt started "improving" the parking lot flow and raised the price for parking over the cost of a ticket), I have been walking into the stadium. Two years ago, the pedestrian gates were usually locked, forcing pedestrians to walk in traffic lanes, which was a treat, in the dark after a night game, dodgering (ha ha) drunken drivers exiting the lot at 50-60 MPH. It took a letter to the Dodger legal dept with a copy to the LA City Attorney's Office, suggesting that the gate locking practices would be criminal negligence if someone was killed. Kaboom the gates now are unlocked.

The pedestrian walk ways, or what passes for them are poorly maintained, Tree root upheaval and massive cracking tells one how seriously McCourt and the Dodgers consider the safety of pedestrians. At least I am still young enough to deal with it, but I would guess the Dodger tort attorneys don't spend a lot of time worrying about basic maintenance, basic lighting of pedestrian ingress and egress, and trip and fall liability.

If you want a laugh try googling bike rack and Dodger stadium. You will find the woes of bike in fans and the needle in a haystack search for the only bike rack in the stadium... Note: conveniently located in a hidden point at the highest elevation point in the stadium. Start chugging up that hill, who needs a lifecycle at the gym?!!

But to show you I am not one sided, the hiring of crossing guards has been a big improvement. But I don't think it was really targeted for the convenience of the walk-in fan, but to ease access back to your car in the lot.

Since McCourt made his fortune in the land and parking lot business in Bostion, don't expect whole hearted support for an effective shuttle system to the game. Hopefully, the fans will utilize the shuttle and it will not die a quick death like the Dodger shuttle of a couple of years ago. I plan to take the gold line and try it out. I hope you will too.

[BOB2]

Let's get this right? The Dodgers use our Freeways and Streets to get customers to their "business", and we get to subsidize that for them, and they have no responsibility for public transportation to their "business"?
Excuse me, when was the last time that the Dodger's paid me for the time lost in the congestion I'm stuck in as a result of their "business" events? And, when they develop around Dodger Stadium they won't have any responsibility either? Is this another case of a politically connected insider getting you to subsidize the services and congestion from their "business" activity? Bad "business" PR for the Dodgers and Bad Public Policy, not to "require" them to have transit access?

[Frank]

I like it. I once used my Metro day pass to go to Union Station, then Chinatown on the Gold Line for a Dodgers game. The walk to Dodger Stadium, while annoying, would have been tolerable if they had a stairway up the hill instead of a "walk where the cars go" policy. Good to know the stadium-station walking route will be irrelevant now.