Buses, Baseball and Parks: Discussing Transit for Dodger Stadium and Elysian Park

Tim on February 28, 2008, at 08:50PM – #1

A branch of the Gold line? After leaving the Chinatown station, the branch could head west to Dodger. It could run elevated along Stadium Way through Elysian Park to Riverside Drive. Terminate at Riverside and Los Feliz at the edge of Griffith Park. Maybe?

Noah on February 28, 2008, at 09:14PM – #2

"Elysian Park is the city's second largest park"

I believe that O'Melveny Park is actually the second largest park in the city, after Griffith.

Bert Green on February 28, 2008, at 11:26PM – #4

I never advocate for buses over trains, but why should there be a train to Dodger Stadium? It's a private business that hosts large events part of the year, maybe a few times a month. The train would have to run every day, about every ten or twenty minutes to an empty stadium. Dumb.

Sure, a bus from Union Station and/or Chinatown station on game nights would be smart. That's about all.

Victor on February 28, 2008, at 11:42PM – #5

I never go to any of the games at Dodger stadium...why? Because parking is expensive and has always been a mess. Id pay up to 3$ to ride a bus in and out if it runs on time and under 15 mins.

As for Elysian Park wouldnt the proposed Corn Field pedestrain bridge solve that issue? (if it is still in the works for the completed park)

Tim on February 29, 2008, at 07:59AM – #6

New York, Chicago, San Fransico, Denver, and other cities provide a rail stop at venues such as Dodger. This isn't to benefit the stadium...it benefits everyone who lives in the region by reducing traffic congestion.

Tim Quinn on February 29, 2008, at 09:33AM – #7

You know, the people at the Transit Coallition have had this discussion at length and depth. It doesn't make any sense to run a rail to the top of Chavez Ravine for Dodger Stadium. There simply is not enough need.

A bus or shuttle is the way to go. Rubber wheels = flexibility

I'm with Bert on this one.

manuel on February 29, 2008, at 11:00AM – #8

• First, the Dodgers play more than a few games a month. To be exact, they average about 13 home games a month. Witch it is worth building a train that can take people to the stadium. Not only would it benefit the fans attending the game, but it would cut down traffic for the locals. Because the traffic is horrible along Sunset blvd, Glendale blvd, the 101 and the 5 freeways on game days. So the commuters that are going home from work at that time wouldn’t have to deal with the game traffic.
• If per say a train is built, it doesn’t have to stop there on days that there is no game. It can just by pass that station for a faster trip.
• Plus, if a train is built, there would be more of a change that the McCourt’s will be granted an NFL team. Since they would be losing money on parking revenue they would be more aggressive on pursuing a team and build a football the stadium on the Dodgers’ stadium parking lot.
• Furthermore, with the rail line built and a second stadium, I bet the McCourt’s would also build housing in the ravine. That means more people and more of a need for a train. • Finally, there is the proposed Silver Line. With this line built it can bring people from many different locations. It would connect to the Red Line in the North, to Union Station, will bring people from the east. Check it out yourself here is the website,. http://web.archive.org/web//http://www.metrosilverline.com/

LAofAnaheim on February 29, 2008, at 11:41AM – #9

# 6 Tim, you can also mention Los Angeles in the same breadth. Look at Staples Center, it gets a lot of people from the Blue Line for its games. Check out the Pico station after the game, the station is packed.

I think the Sports Area at Expo Park should be demolished and replaced with Dodger Stadium. Expo Line to Dodger Stadium!

Dana Gabbard on February 29, 2008, at 11:42AM – #10

The Dodgers funded a bus a few years ago from Union Station to the stadium; it was a bust. I doubt they'll subsidize another such venture, and the city has no spare transportation funds. Likely this will generate a lot of talk but no action.

cph on February 29, 2008, at 11:51AM – #11

The former Dodger Stadium shuttle, as well as the old RTD #635 that ran years ago, didn't do all that well, primarily because of concerns about getting a ride back home once the game was over. (The bus dropped you back downtown, and then what?)

I think a Hollywood Bowl-type bus system, with express buses going to the stadium from all over Southern California, might be the way to go. Of course the fares would need to be high enough to cover the costs of running the service, since MTA is having trouble subsidizing its regular bus services....

Tim on February 29, 2008, at 12:08PM – #12

Tim Quinn...As you say, a rail line solely to Dogder would not make sense. What I was proposing was a rail line to Los Feliz ulilizing Stadium Way and Riverside Drive. Dodger would only be one stop on the route. I know that transportation funds are tight, but if a rail line is ever planned for Silverlake, Los Feliz, or even Eagle Rock, I would hope it would allow for stops at Dodger and Elysian Park before continuing Northwest. (But in defense of one-station spur lines, in NYC, the Long Island Rail Road does have a 1-stop spur from one of the main lines directly to the Belmont Park Race Track!)

Urban Bruin on February 29, 2008, at 12:21PM – #13

Why destroy a treasured landmark that is Dodger Stadium to build a stadium south L.A.? Also, if the Dodgers drawn over 3 million people annually without a bus/train system what makes you think the McCourt’s would pay for a new stadium? For sure the city shouldn’t give them money.

The original idea of making the parks accessible by public transit makes sense once the city puts some more resources, activities and safety at those parks.

manuel on February 29, 2008, at 01:06PM – #14

Here is a map of a rail line that makes sense (read comment 8).

http://web.archive.org/web//www.metrosilverline.com/SILVERaLINEment.jpg

Ginny on February 29, 2008, at 01:38PM – #15

Remember the discussion on the Bottleneck Blog - I love the idea of an aerial tram. () But, not feasible. As a three time season-ticket holder (Thank You Alex), I liked the bus shuttle service. The problem with it was it only ran on Fridays, so every other day of the week during home stands, I'd have to run home, pick up Alex and get to the stadium.

And, just for the record - the only times I've ever made it to a game on time was when I left work at 3 p.m., drove right to the stadium and watch the batting practice. Now that I work closer to town - hopefully I'll get to watch more batting practice. Outside of getting caught in rundowns, it's my favorite part of the game.

Transit Planner on February 29, 2008, at 01:40PM – #16

Dodger Stadium needs:

1. A SIMPLE FREQUENT shuttle to the nearest Red (and Gold) Line station (Union Station).
2. Express buses from outlying Park & Rides (like Hollywood Bowl)
3. An improved pedestrain route from the Chinatown Gold Line Station. Improved sidewalks and signage is all it would take.
   

Bert Green on February 29, 2008, at 02:56PM – #17

The Dodger Stadium shuttle was a bust because the last bus left the stadium BEFORE the game ended. Duh.

Urban Bruin on February 29, 2008, at 04:30PM – #18

Stay for the entire game? What are you thinking?! You do know its Dodger tradition to leave before the ninth; right? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz6HCAt_dy0

Actually, your right, that shuttle was pathetic and cost $3 bucks?

LA Native on February 29, 2008, at 09:48PM – #19

The Chinatown Gold Line station is actually very close to Dodger Stadium as the crow flies (you can look it up on Google maps). However, currently it is a very steep and winding pedestrian/road route (about twice as long as the actual distance). A short aerial tram would be best, but it might be very expensive and I doubt the Dodgers would fund it even with contributions from Chinatown businesses that would benefit.

A pedestrian bridge with a moving escalator on game days is probably the most feasible. The Dodgers, Chinatown businesses, and the city could potentially partner together to get it done, but it would take someone powerful to put it all together.

Metro Local on March 01, 2008, at 12:49AM – #20

Garcetti's district, no? Plenty of clout there.

An elevated and escalator driven walkway (like to Universal Studios from the Red LIne) from the Gold Line to Dodgers Stadium is the best solution -- maybe with a dedicated shuttle train from that stop to Union Station on game days?

The Dodgers can afford it but will be unlikely to fund it as they also own the parking lot.

Browne on March 02, 2008, at 12:51PM – #21

Do people actually go to baseball games? :)

Maybe we can build a mini airport or space station in the parking lot...no that's not expensive enough.

How about just move the stadium to where there is a rail stop? What do you need for a baseball field, dirt and some bases. They could move it to North Hollywood or maybe somewhere along the Blue Line. Around the Blue Line there are stretches of abandoned warehouses. Oh, how about we just have them play at the Staples Center or that Nokia thing, can we add dirt to that thing? I'm thinking the same people who would go to the crappy concerts at Nokia (Rush and the Wiggles are some of the great selections of entertainment at Nokia, who books that place?) would be similar to the people who are fans of baseball games.

We could develop Dodger Stadium, put up some soft lofts price them at about 500K, build a dog park around it, at the ground floor we could add a cool bar and a hair salon, and then the Gold Line stetching to it would make sense.

I should work in gov't. Has anyone suggested this madness. I bet they have.

Browne

John Crandell on March 02, 2008, at 02:03PM – #22

I love it. Tear down the stadium. Replace entertainment with lifestyle selection. But the unintended consequence would be instant redevelopment: local sports fans would move enmasse and join al Queda and attack and burn the county courts and the county hall of administration. Vin Scully would be elected generalissimo.

John Crandell on March 02, 2008, at 02:25PM – #23

Seriously, how about an aerial tram? The lower station could be at the Chinatown light rail stop and the upper station located and designed so that fans would have easy access to each stadium level. Design it so that the tram cars reflect or can be identified with both the team and Chinatown. People driving along the Pasadena Freeway would love it and there would be traffic jams the first couple months of operation. So what's new about that? People would want to take mass transit into Downtown just so they could ride on such an aerial e-ticket sort of ride up to the stadium. There could be a visitor's or a team history center at the upper station and the tram could operate year round, would not need to be shut down during non-season.

Tram cars should handle about ten people max, with passengers standing up. And the cars would turn around at the stations, like a ski lift, not like the Palm Springs aerial tram where there are only two high capacity tramcars, one in each direction. Cars could be spaced along the aerial every few hundred feet on center.

Browne on March 02, 2008, at 02:52PM – #24

" Replace entertainment with lifestyle selection. But the unintended consequence would be instant redevelopment: local sports fans would move enmasse and join al Queda and attack and burn the county courts and the county hall of administration." John.

That's a TV show waiting to happen, probably on channel 7. We need to pitch that in the next pilot season.

I like the aerial tram, but I don't think you're thinking big enough. Walt Disney is a fine inspiration, but what about Gene Roddenberry? His creativity had a social justice component which is just was LA needs, so how about transporters, like the have in Star Trek? I think the transporter technology needs more funding, because I believe with enough money and hype that thing can happen.

I think it would also be great to implement to combat the war on terror.

Browne

Tyler on March 02, 2008, at 04:44PM – #25

First of all, 3 million people to Dodger Stadium is no joke - thats a ton of people.

The Dodgers could start with just building a set of stairs using railroad ties to get people using the Chinatown station to the top of the park. I have always been a firm believe in using that system.

Also, if you were to create a bus service, I would say it would be a good idea to open some of the closed entrances/exits and dedicate them to those buses.

Lastly, why not turn Dodger Stadium into a huge parking lot with a light rail system servicing downtown? That way, the parking lot would be used during the day and on non-game days, the Dodgers make more money on parking, and it gives people coming into Downtown a place to park.

Jerard on March 02, 2008, at 10:26PM – #26

I wonder if it’ll be easier to just bore a 1/2 mile loop tunnel under Chinatown and Elysian Park from the existing Gold Line tracks and develop lots 4, 6 and 22 into a residential and job village next to the ball park to help pay for the station and then densify the surface lots into structures and turn the Northern most lots back ints into parks with ponds for the residents in the village. To make Dodger Stadium/Elysian Park a regional park/village and neighborhood 24/7.

Proto on March 04, 2008, at 01:23PM – #27

As a season ticket holder and as a person who works at Union Station, I can tell you that the chinatown rail station is not nearly close enough. It's two tall hill climbs away from the stadium. The stadium guide at dodgers.com refers you to the bus lines on sunset blvd which are still a hill climb away. Public transit in the entire park/acadamy area is a bust. We need service here!

I' not Potus on March 04, 2008, at 06:45PM – #28

This is what I came up with after reviewing the proposals made so far by the "experts..forgive spelling I have horrible lag with interactive websites.

linky:

clostower on March 19, 2008, at 12:17AM – #29

I recently read about this group. This is a great idea for the Echo Park Silver Lake districts and could easily include a stop at dodger stadium on game days only.

http://www.ahtrolley.org/

My next idea is a bit more idealistic as well as drastic. With the end of dodgertown in florida, there is a great opportunity to create a real dodgertown on top of chavez ravine. This of course would be up to Frank McCourt to jump into the development game. In addition to creating a small wrigleyville town on top of the hill, he should build the football stadium that can house a pro team that this city desperately wants as well as a parking structure to replace all the lost space with the new stadium and town. With a town at the top of the hill, a subway station would make sense.

MFMauceri on April 14, 2008, at 12:18AM – #30

http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/la/ballpark/ballpark_guide.jsp

Here's insult to injury... The Dodgers website details shuttle bus from Sunset Boulevard to the stadium. Except no such service exists anymore. I found this out today (04/13/08) in 90+ degree heat as my father-in-law (65+) and I carried his grand children up and down to the stadium.

If you're elderly, partially handicapped, or have young children, you've been a bit mislead. I contacted the Dodgers about this a week ago and have had no response. Let's keep loading up those cars into Stadium... Traffic's certainly not a problem here in L.A., gas is cheap, and what's a little global warming in the big the scheme of things?

hitmower on May 20, 2009, at 10:53AM – #32

I live in Santa Barbara and love the Dodgers and enjoy LA. We are trying to plan a train trip to come to a game, enjoy the area and return home after wards without driving. A stop or shuttle to Dodger Stadium makes sense. Angel stadium has a train stop?? It would be great to make something like this happen. I know others in SB and I'm sure other areas outside of LA proper that try to come down to the games and this would really help, not only for the games, but the downtown area as well.