Bert Green on January 22, 2009, at 11:45AM – #1

What is wrong with the Dodger's management? This is a no brainer. If the downtown business owners can pitch in to run the Red Line and the DASH late during the holidays, this baseball team that rakes in MILLIONS can make this token gesture. Pathetic.

seb on January 22, 2009, at 12:41PM – #3

They need to build another Angels Flight in Chavez Ravine but this one blue.

Brian on January 22, 2009, at 04:55PM – #4

I think it's pretty obvious the Dodgers know people are going to come to the games, trolly or no trolly.

What's the upside of them subsidizing the service? Nothing really - if anything it costs them a half-million dollars.

If there is no such trolley service? People will still show up in their cars and the Dodgers make money from parking and it doesn't cost them the $500k.

I agree it would be a great gesture for them to help out with the costs, but in such economic times I can't imagine anyone is being overly generous.

Rich Alossi on January 22, 2009, at 05:40PM – #5

How about the city put a halt to their proposed beautification and garage plan -- ie, dont approve construction permits -- until they pitch in for some SERIOUS transportation improvements in the area.

Utterly ridiculous. Make them pay for the pollution and traffic impacts they cause!!

benjamin on January 22, 2009, at 06:19PM – #6

boycott time!

Bert Green on January 22, 2009, at 11:09PM – #7

Dodger Stadium is a massive traffic generator. Traffic means pollution. The team needs to consider ways to get greener. The public relations aspect to this is huge, I don't understand why they refuse to see this.

The city could require it, simply make it mandatory, by limiting access to the stadium to high occupancy vehicles (3 passengers or more) and transit. In that case, the city then could and should offer to pay for the shuttle service, using high capacity buses from Union Station, the Gold Line, and the Vermont/Sunset Red LIne. Low occupancy vehicles would not be permitted.

Then watch how quickly the Dodgers would agree to provide the service.

A boycott sounds like an idea, but I've never been to a baseball game in my life, so I'm not sure I could help with a boycott.

Brian on January 23, 2009, at 03:49PM – #8

I'm all about being green but I think such an approach will have little to no effect. 1.4% of those attending games used the trolley - that's a really small number of fans.

• In the past five season the Dodgers have been second or third in home attendance. A boycott or surcharge will do very little probably.
• You and I may want businesses and industry to be green but the main focus of the Dodgers and their fans is to win baseball games. Nobody right now is thinking about a trolley or parking issues, everyone wants to know how the Dodgers are going to sign Manny and whether or not it will cost them 50 or 60 million.
• I can't see the city taking a hard line on the issue because there is no chance they want to ruffle any feathers with a business that consistently brings big money into the area.

Should one of the wealthiest franchises in baseball pony up the cost of a shuttle? Probably just in a pure PR sense. However, since it impacts such a small portion of their fan base it probably just isn't a priority for them.

Bert Green on January 23, 2009, at 06:41PM – #9

Status quo arguments are basically circular. The reason the number of people who arrive at a game is so small is because there is no decent transit option to get to the game at all, despite the shuttle, which is a half-measure.

If there were a train stop at the Stadium people would use it, as they do to get to Staples Center (trains before and after games are full of fans). If the MTA were to heavily advertise a shuttle service which ran frequently like the Rapids and would allow people to stay to the end of the game, people would use it too.

Jason on January 26, 2009, at 08:09AM – #12

It seems like there's a cheaper solution here using Metro line 2/302 on Sunset Blvd. Couldn't it head up Elysian Park Ave. on game days or what if the trolley connected the Stadium to Sunset Blvd. as opposed to going all the way to Union Station or...?

Jerard on January 26, 2009, at 02:20PM – #13

A dedicated Bus Only lane on Chavez from Vignes to Elysian Park Avenue with strategically located queue jumpers.

This would serve a dual role to help a Dodger Stadium shuttle as well as regular local bus traffic with upwards of 15 bus routes converge in this area around the Figueroa Terrace, South Chinatown and Union Station areas.

Vanzant on January 28, 2009, at 07:12PM – #14

The Dodgers make way too much from parking to encourage people to not drive...what is it , like $15 now??

I live downtown and I would have gone to 3 or 4 games last year if the suubway and/or a trolley could take me. No way am I getting on a bus though, its confusing, unreliable, and doesnt run often enough. To live 4 miles from the stadium and sit in traffic for half an hour is nuts.

The Dodgers have a lot of nerve, even in these economic times they are still just trying to get every last dollar from the parking fees...but millions on player salarys no problem....wow

jorge rodriguez on January 31, 2009, at 06:40PM – #15

The Dodgers need to know that gas prices will come back again to $5.00 a galon or more. You put that together with a weak economy and high unemployment, they will be begging for these shuttles to bring people to the stadium. I guess they will only react when they see their sold out stadium half full. I suggest the next deal they offer to one of their multi million dollar players, they should cut $500K, to allocate for the people who are most important to the team: the fans