Dodgers Raise Parking Back to $15 Unless Pre-Paid

The Dodgers have announced recently that 2014 parking prices at Dodger Stadium will go back up to $15 unless fans pre-pay for their parking before arriving to the stadium ($10). While it’s no new story that the parking situation at Dodger Stadium can be a horrendous mess most of the time, I doubt this new attempt at improving the traffic flow will yield large changing results unfortunately.

"“The fan experience is of paramount importance to the Dodgers,” said Dodgers’ President & CEO Stan Kasten.  “We have been examining ways to improve our traffic flow at Dodger Stadium.  We feel one of the best ways to expedite movement through the auto gates is for fans to have a prepaid parking pass when they arrive at Dodger Stadium.  Transaction times will be improved.”"

I’ve always remembered parking at Dodger Stadium to be a hassle even back in the 1980’s when I attended games as a kid. The main issue is when all the fans leave the stadium. There is a bottleneck to leave the stadium grounds and to drive down the ravine to the area freeway system. Traffic congestion is just inherent to Los Angeles, especially downtown Los Angeles, in general. When you have large sports venues within a large urban hub like downtown, there is abound to be issues with coordinating event parking and traffic flow.

The Dodgers are also initiating a few changes to the parking ins and outs for 2014:

• Restriping the many lots, modifying circulation patterns and improved on-site signage.
• Added bike racks to encourage bicycles as an alternative mode of transportation to Dodger Stadium
• Enhance and promotion of the use of public bus on Sunset Boulevard and better marketing at the Metro Gold Line Chinatown and Red Line Hollywood Stations
• More and clearer way-finding signage directing traffic to underutilized gates
• Additional on-site parking spaces

While I laud the organization for researching solutions and making changes in an attempt to make vehicle traffic more smooth flowing and safer, I feel that the parking price change won’t do much to less to speed up the process of parking. I remember when the Dodgers let you enter Dodger Stadium and park anywhere you wanted as long as it was in the general parking area. Now attendants direct you to a designated space as each car is parked in line as they enter the stadium lot.

Traffic flow has always been an issue at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers are also going to direct cars to other gates around the stadium in order to spread the traffic flow more around the circumference of Chavez Ravine.

The Dodgers ownership pleased fans after they dropped the parking price to $10 after taking over control of the team from the previous regime. Yet now with all the improvements to Dodger Stadium and big free agent spending, the Dodgers are inching up prices once again including price tags on game tickets as well.

I won’t mind paying for my parking online ahead of time, but I can see where some fans may forget or perhaps not even have a credit card to pay with online. I’m sure there will be fans who enter Dodger Stadium in 2014 who will be upset to find out about the parking increase when they arrive to watch their Boys in Blue.

I just paid $25 to park at the Nokia Theater parking garage last week. At least the Dodgers haven’t totally reverted back to the $15 price point on parking since the $10 price is still available with a little more effort by the fans.

Preferred Parking will be available for $35 in advance or $50 at the gate. You’ll be able to order parking in advance here.