Letters to the Editor: Stacked parking at Starlight Bowl for July 4 event a ‘nightmare,’ reader says

The music and the fireworks at the Starlight Bowl on July 4 were entertaining and spectacular. I’ve been attending with my family since the 1990s, and this is the first time in recent years that we could all attend together again. Well done, Burbank.

Leaving the parking lot was a nightmare! It was gridlock as all cars were funneled out to the northern exit only! Why?

Before the concert we drove up East Walnut to Lockheed View only to park bumper-to-bumper in stacked parking. My daughter and son-in-law came a bit later in a separate vehicle with their 2-month-old baby and were given a parking spot to allow an early exit if necessary. It took them 70 minutes to exit as they could only go toward Lockheed View after the event.

It took me and others 55 minutes to exit, only because the Burbank Police Department finally opened the gate to exit down Walnut.

So my question to the officials of the Starlight Bowl, Burbank police, the Parks & Recreation Department and the City Council is: Why? Are the residents down the street so powerful a voting block that they laid down the law on the Starlight Bowl? Did a new person take over who decided to “improve” the process?

Stacked parking is a disaster, which is why I take a Lyft ride to the Hollywood Bowl, and it’s a breeze. Does Burbank offer drop-off and pick-up locations for ride-sharing services at the Starlight Bowl? If not, why not?

We have canceled our remaining events at the Starlight Bowl this summer, and if we and other residents don’t receive concrete answers regarding parking improvements next year, this will have been our final visit, and that is unfortunate.

Michael James

Burbank