How World Series Game 1 at Dodger Stadium will affect LA traffic
Los Angeles is bracing for what could be a traffic nightmare Friday night as the World Series kicks off at Dodger Stadium, just one of several events expected to draw crowds and fill up freeways.
In fact, Mayor Karen Bass said more than 100 traffic officers are being dispatched to help ease the flow of cars on packed streets and city engineers are working on developing specialized routes throughout the night. More LAPD officers will be sent to patrol at Dodger Stadium and other venues hosting events while paramedics will be strategically stationed around the city — all part of a coordinated effort with LA's Emergency Operations Center (EOC) being activated to oversee the situation.
The EOC handles emergencies like earthquakes and wildfires as well as large-scale events requiring major planning and preparation.
LA Metro is increasing service on the A, B/D and E train lines Friday and Saturday night and the Dodger Stadium Express — free for all ticket holders — will be carrying fans from the South Bay or Union Station in downtown LA to the Elysian Park stadium.
World Series Game 1 against the New York Yankees, scheduled for 5:08 p.m. PST, may be the biggest sporting event happening in LA on the evening of Friday, Oct. 25, but it's not the only one. Along with a Lakers game, high school football will also be in the spotlight, from the East LA Classic at Sofi Stadium to a showdown between the top two teams in the country in nearby Orange County. And there will also be concerts at Kia Forum and the Intuit Dome in Inglewood around the same time.
Which freeways will be affected?
Friday evenings are almost never an easy commute but some freeways, from downtown LA and the eastside near Dodger Stadium to Inglewood and parts of South LA, will be especially jammed.
Here is a breakdown of the biggest events happening Friday night and which highways they are expected to impact.
- World Series Game 1: Los Angeles Dodgers vs. New York Yankees
Dodger Stadium in Elysian Park — 5:08 p.m. PST
Freeways Impacted: 5, 110, 101 and 2
- Los Angeles Lakers vs. Phoenix Suns
Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles — 7 p.m. PST
Freeways Impacted: 5, 10, 110 and 101
- USC Trojans vs. Rutgers Scarlet Kings
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in LA's Exposition Park — 8 p.m. PST
Freeways Impacted: 10 and 110
- East LA Classic: Roosevelt High School vs. Garfield High School
SoFi Stadium in Inglewood — 7:30 p.m. PST
Freeways Impacted: 105, 110 and 405
- David Gilmour of Pink Floyd
Intuit Dome in Inglewood — 7:30 PST
Freeways Impacted: 105, 110 and 405
- Jeff Lynne's ELO (Electric Light Orchestra)
Kia Forum in Inglewood — 8 p.m. PST
Freeways Impacted: 105, 110 and 405
Just a little further south, in Orange County, a matchup between the two top high school football teams in the country is also expected to impact traffic — Mater Dei High School vs. St. John Bosco High School (No. 1 vs. No. 2 nationally ranked teams) at the Santa Ana Bowl at 7 p.m. PST.
How to avoid all the driving traffic
Of course, one way to avoid all the traffic jams is by not driving altogether.
For both Games 1 and 2 of the World Series, on Friday and Saturday night, fans can get on the Dodger Stadium Express at Union Station or from a number of stations in the South Bay including the Harbor Gateway Transit Center. Dubbed Line 34, in honor of Dodger great Fernando Valenzuela, it's free for ticket holders.
Information on the full list of stations where the Dodger Stadium Express will be running, parking costs near them and more can be found here. From Union Station to the stadium, buses will run every 10 minutes — starting 90 minutes before game time. From the South Bay to the stadium, buses run every 30 minutes — starting 2 hours before game time.
As for getting anywhere else Friday night, LA Metro will be running extra service on the A, B/D and E Lines. A full list of bus and train schedules can be found here.
