Baseball Traffic Study Planned

The Los Angeles City Council has selected a transportation consulting firm to conduct a $50,000 study of ways to ease traffic problems in neighborhoods around Dodger Stadium.

A coalition of neighborhood groups has lobbied for such a study for nearly two years. Residents complain that traffic to and from the stadium paralyzes parts of Echo Park, Silver Lake, Solano Canyon and Elysian Valley.

Officials said they expect details of a contract with the firm, DKS Associates, to be negotiated within the next few weeks and that the study could begin next month, shortly after baseball season starts.

The study is to last six to eight months, and some early recommendations could be implemented before the final report is ready, according to Tom Conner, an engineer with the city’s Department of Transportation.

“Getting expert advice seems like the best we can do to make the situation more tolerable,” said Barbara Vineyard, a leader of the coalition known as Neighbors of Dodger Stadium.