Streetsblog Los Angeles

When the city won't help you, it's time to DIY. Photo: LA Eastsider

Last week, the news blog LA Eastsider reported on efforts of residents in Echo Park and other Eastside communities to fight back against Dodger fans that cruise through and park on residential streets.  Basically, faced with a city that hasn't been quick enough to help out, residents have taken to posting their own signs, barricades and even dressing as security guards to keep fans looking for free parking off their streets.

When I first saw the article, I wanted to repost it, but thought better of it.  In this city, DIY projects tend to get erased awfully quickly when someone shines the light on them.  Sure enough, when I checked back yesterday there was a note that many of the signs that were put up were taken down the same day the article posted.  Consider this Fletcher Bridge Redux.

Just as in the now-famous Fletcher Bridge incident, regular people are trying to protect themselves and their streets after he city turns a deaf ear to their concerns.  The Eastsider explains:

With City Hall and the Dodgers unable or unwilling to spend money on traffic and parking control measures that mean something, residents say they are on their own. "We are kind of left to do what we have to do," said the resident from Solano Canyon.

Of course, now the signs are down so the limited protection the community created for itself are now gone.  One of the commenters on Eastsider claims that the communities are working with the city and Eric Garcetti's office to try and come up with a long-term solution and I'll keep my eyes open for what's happening on those streets.

In the meantime, wouldn't it be nice if there were a transportation story involving the Dodgers that wasn't about car-culture run amok?

Photo from Union Station via JHVU/FlicR

The Los Angeles Dodgers, the same organization which refused to help fund bus service to the stadium and even mocked the service the nearly-broke City of Los Angeles provided at no-cost to them last season, found a new way to kick dirt in the eyes of its transit riding fans.  Via press release:

As the school season closes and spring turns into summer, the Los Angeles Dodgers will provide Free Parking in the general lots at Dodger Stadium for the three-game series June 16-18 versus the Oakland Athletics. Gates open at 5:10 p.m. and game times are 7:10 p.m...

..."This gesture is our latest initiative to help ensure that all of our fans can enjoy our National Pastime at Dodger Stadium," said Dodger CEO Jamie McCourt, who helped create the Commissioner's Fan Initiative at the beginning of this season. "With the conclusion of the school year, we want to make it even easier for families to spend their summer evenings with us."

Well, now it's official.  The Dodgers don't consider people that don't own cars part of their fan base.   For the record, the Dodgers parking lot fits 16,000 cars.  At $15 a pop, they are losing more revenue with this three day promotion to "all their fans" then they would have spent funding the bus service from Union Station to Dodger Stadium for the entire season.

...not green. Photo:eating grass/Flickr

Just in time for Opening Day, the Los Angeles Dodgers sent out a press release announcing their efforts to make people's experiences at the ballpark more "family-friendly."  Presuming, of course, that family owns a car.

After the Dodgers famously stiffed transit riders by refusing to lift a finger to continue transit bus service provided for free last season by the City of Los Angeles and then dissed the city's efforts as just "a few buses;" it's revealing to see the former Trolley Dodgers celebrating a flatlining of parking fees and new gameday "playbills" for each car coming into the stadium.

For anyone choosing to be car free yet still wants to root for an organization that spends over $20 million dollars for a left fielder but not $400,000 to provide bus service to the stadium for an entire season; as far as we know the bike racks are still located between Lot P and the Stadium.