Bike parking at the ballpark: Ramping up, September 4

Ahead of L.A.: I stumbled across this photo I shot a couple of weeks ago on a visit to San Francisco. It's the bike parking area at AT&T Park, where the Giants play. There's a bike lane in the street out front and the Muni train stops a few feet from the entrance gates on the left-field line. I didn't see the bike parking areas or light rail line on a recent visit to Dodger Stadium. Oh wait, this just in: There are none, because the stadium is up on a hill disconnected from the city it serves. But the Dodgers say that an average of more than 1,500 fans are taking the Dodger trolley bus to the game -- the DASH bus that the city of L.A. pays for because the Dodgers wouldn't chip in.

Pedestrian death: A suspected drunk driver struck and killed a pedestrian in Lincoln Heights on Wednesday. The LAPD had been following him for 10 minutes but hadn't tried to pull him over, my colleague Richard Winton reports.

Be a wonk: Sen. Barbara Boxer is in town today to hold a hearing at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's headquarters at 10 a.m. on what locals would like to see funded in next year's giant federal transportation bill. More info at yesterday's post.

Metro trumpets sales tax: Good eyes at both Curbed LA and LAist spotting the pages at the MTA's website devoted to the Measure R half-cent sales tax increase campaign. The agency isn't supposed to be directly involved in campaigning, and I suppose the following statement is within the rules -- but is it within the spirit of the rules?: "The Los Angeles region lags behind every major North American urban area in the development of a comprehensive mass transit system and that is costing jobs."

Improved intersection: L.A. Council President Eric Garcetti and Rep. Xavier Becerra are holding a news conference this a.m. to tout improvements at Western and Santa Monica, including left-turn lanes that can accommodate more cars.

New DASH line: The Central City East line debuts today, serving Little Tokyo and the Toy, Arts and Fashion districts.

Blog traffic alert: I'm off today and Friday, back at Bottleneck's steering wheel on Monday. There may be some light posting between now and then.

--Steve Hymon

photo: Steve Hymon / LAT

Comments

[BOB2]

MTA Campaigning for Measure R with Public Funds?

Based upon the other sales tax measures in Southern California, by the other Transportation Commissions, it appears that MTA may not only be violating the spirit of the law, but possibly the letter, as well. All of the other Transportation Commissions took a much more conservative view of this prohibition in their campaigns, with definite fire walls on this kind of blatant use of public funds to influence a self serving political outcome.

It will be interesting to see how the Board of Supervisors's majority who oppose Prop. R and sit on MTA's Board, or Steve Cooley react to this questionable use of MTA funds?

Whether this "informational" campaigning by MTA is a violation of the spirit or letter of the law, is less the issue than an indication of the degree of questionable judgement by the Board majority and current management at MTA.

This becomes yet another reason for the opponents to Measure R to question MTA's motives. And, draw atttention away from the need for better transit. The MTA majority have been unusually consistent in their ability to torpedo their own initiative, through by a lack of consensus building and good judgement.

[Damien Newton]

There is indeed crappy bike parking at Dodger Stadium, you can read all about it here:

http://la.streetsblog.org/2008/05/08/taking-a-bike-to-dodger-stadium/

[Erik Knutzen]

Believe it or not Dodger Stadium actually has bike parking. It's at the entrance to the very top deck (at the top of the hill). When I went to a game a few weeks ago two LAPD officers had the bike parking area gated off and were standing in the middle of it. I pointed out the rack and one of them said, "I guess that's what it's for" and let me in. My bike spent the rest of the night locked up at the rack guarded by two police officers making it the most secure bicycle parking in Los Angeles. Most of the other folks who rode that night locked up to trees and signs probably because nobody knows where the bike parking is. Biking is, by the way, the fastest way in and out of Dodger Stadium.

[Ray Simmons]

After biking to a Dodger game a month ago and finding no place to secure my bicycle except a fence out in the parking lot, I fired off an email to several members of City Council. One responded by email within minutes and another by telephone a few days later. Both assured me they'd talk to Dodgers management about remedying the situation. To the best of my knowledge, nothing has changed.

[Ken Alpern]

It's clearly a bit of a stretch, but considering how Prop. R was set up in large part working with Metro officials' recommendations, Metro is indeed promoting the latest and best way to get so many stalled transportation projects off the ground.

I can only hope the sales tax pursued by the governor fails, because it would kill this local initiative.