Study of Dodger Stadium Traffic Effect Delayed

Residents of neighborhoods surrounding Dodger Stadium will have to wait at least until next season before something is done to ease the flood of traffic caused by baseball fans and commuters.

The Transportation and Traffic Committee of the Los Angeles City Council voted last week to spend up to $50,000 for private consultants to study the effect on traffic of stadium events. The results will help planners come up with ways to ease the congestion.

Neighborhood groups, who asked for the study more than a year ago, originally wanted it to be conducted during the current baseball season. Because of delays, however, the study is now tentatively scheduled to start in November and will continue through more than half of the 1987 baseball season, said Edwin Rowe, general manager of the Department of Transportation.

“I would rather that it be done well next season than for it to be rushed and done inadequately this season,” said Jim Grant of the Echo Park Renters’ and Home Owners’ Assn.

Rowe’s department will ask the Los Angeles City Council next week for permission to seek bids on the study. The Dodgers will be asked to help pay for the study but are not required to do so.