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Post by bobdavis on Apr 13, 2010 19:29:18 GMT -8
As we have done for the past few years, my daughter and I attended Opening Day at Dodger Stadium. There had been announcements about shuttle service (presumably from Union Station), and we were in seats with a view of the Metro buses. They seemed to come by fairly often, even during the game. After the game we saw them heading out with full loads. (We had considered taking the Gold Line in and transferring to a bus, but her schedule made this unfeasible). There was a mix of regular and articulated coaches, some with "Dodger Express" graphics on the sides. Did anybody try going to the game this way? Admittedly not a trolley line (an ancient nickname for the team was the Broolyn Trolley Dodgers, because a hundred years ago, the borough had numerous streetcar lines) but still a way to sit back and relax after (at least today) celebrating a victory by the Blue Crew.
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Post by transitfan on Apr 14, 2010 9:24:36 GMT -8
Nice to see MTA serving Dodger Stadium after a 15 year absence. I'm guessing the buses are coming from Gateway Division 10, since artics are involved (maybe some help from the other downtown area divisions (1,2, and 3). Back in the day, the old 177 line that ran along Spring St in downtown was from divisions 1, 2 and 3, toward the end of the service (late 80s to the end in 1994), the renumbered to 635 line operated from divisions 3 and 10.
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Post by rubbertoe on Apr 14, 2010 9:48:07 GMT -8
If anyone has taken this bus, please let us know how it works. I seem to remember a couple years ago when this was last running there were horror stories about how long it took the bus to get to/from Dodger Stadium form US. Something along the lines of having to negotiate the same traffic that the cars did.
Pasadena has this figured out with Rose Bowl games. The buses, when near the Rose Bowl, travel on streets that are blocked for normal traffic. Only in old town near the Parsons lot do things slow down a bit on the return trip. If the bus is a reasonable option, then its going to be the Gold Line and bus for me, no more $15 parking!
RT
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Post by joshuanickel on Apr 14, 2010 16:56:36 GMT -8
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Post by jeisenbe on Apr 14, 2010 18:52:51 GMT -8
The Militant Angeleno wrote a report about the shuttle. It was a slow trip there, not as fast as a bike, but the ride back was better. Service may improve in future games, once the kinks have been worked out. militantangeleno.blogspot.com/2010/04/its-time-for-dodger-baseball-again.htmlHe also has written about taking the shuttle in 2008, and riding his bike to the stadium Unfortunately, as long as the Dodger's owners are able to make $15 per car by charging for parking, they will have huge incentives to limit access by walking, transit and biking. If we want them to support better transit access, instead of having taxpayers subsidize it for them, perhaps we could get the zoning changed. Turning those parking lots into housing and offices would be worth much more than $15 per home game per space ($120 per year at best), considering the price of land near Downtown. If the Angels can turn their parking lot into a new mixed-use community, so can the Dodgers.
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Post by tonyw79sfv on Apr 14, 2010 20:05:38 GMT -8
I've rode the Dodgers Trolley service back in 2008 and it had decent ridership, but the fact that the bus has to fight the same traffic as other private cars doesn't make it much a comfortable ride, but with a lot of the Dodgers fans in the bus mingling and socializing, it made traffic irrelevant in the party bus. However, like any bus service, there should be provisions for buses to have special access and/or lanes to bypass the craziness. What makes rail unique over automobile travel is the reliability and advantage of not dealing with traffic, which isn't apparent in the current and past shuttle service; the shuttle only provides a means for Metro Rail and Metrolink riders to access Dodgers Stadium, albiet, parking at Union Station is half the cost of parking at the stadium if one wants to travel likewise (and free for motorcycles, unlike $15 at the stadium).
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Post by wad on Apr 17, 2010 4:52:44 GMT -8
If we want them to support better transit access, instead of having taxpayers subsidize it for them, perhaps we could get the zoning changed. Turning those parking lots into housing and offices would be worth much more than $15 per home game per space ($120 per year at best), considering the price of land near Downtown. If the Angels can turn their parking lot into a new mixed-use community, so can the Dodgers. There's still the problem of putting a major activity center at the base of a hill. L.A.'s triumphalist engineers and architects didn't account for the fact that when you place major venues like Dodger Stadium, Rose Bowl, Hollywood Bowl and Greek Theater near constrained guideways; expect everyone to drive there; then make it impossible for alternatives to work (there's no secondary mass transit ridership to support non-stadium uses), and there's nothing that can be done about traffic. Dodger Stadium needs to be on flat land near both freeways and transit. It needs to be replaced.
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Post by masonite on Apr 17, 2010 9:38:49 GMT -8
Dodger Stadium needs to be on flat land near both freeways and transit. It needs to be replaced. While it is true that it would be better to have the stadium close to transit more in the heart of downtown, I don't think Dodger Stadium is going anywhere soon. In a straight line, it is only something like a 1/3 mile from Dodger Stadium to the Chinatown Gold Line Station. A tram or funicular going over the freeway and up the hill that could be operated on game days would be a boon to Chinatown and a great way to get to the Stadium. Unfortunately, the Dodgers are more interested in parking revenue and they would really need to be the leaders on this.
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Post by gibiscus on Jun 27, 2010 12:37:46 GMT -8
I think there should be two funiculars: one from Chinatown Station and another from Sunset/Elysian Park. The routing could be made so it'll go up one way, loop around the stadium, then down the other way before turning back uphill.
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