World Cup / USA 1994 : Bumper Cars : Traffic: Two contests are at rush hour, a third nearly coincides with Dodger game. Officials warn fans to leave early.

First the earthquake. Now the soccer games.

Life in Los Angeles has not been kind to commuters this year.

It’s not enough that up to 90,000 soccer fans will converge bumper-to-bumper on the freeways, snarling traffic as they wend their way to eight World Cup games, starting Saturday. For two games, soccer aficionados will be vying with the city’s commuters, trying to reach the Rose Bowl during rush hour.

For another game, on July 3, soccer fans will swarm Pasadena while baseball enthusiasts flock to Dodger Stadium. Game times: 1:30 and 1:05 p.m., respectively--a scheduling coincidence that caught some World Cup and other officials unaware.

The first game at the Rose Bowl, Saturday’s 4:30 p.m. contest between Colombia and Romania, will be preceded by ceremonies that begin at 3:45 p.m. Sunday’s Sweden-Cameroon game starts at 4:30 p.m.

Fans attending those and other World Cup games should plan to leave for the Rose Bowl several hours before the opening kick because travel, parking and security screening will be time-consuming, transportation officials advise. Car-pool or use a park-and-ride service from one of three auxiliary lots, they urge.

“When we say come early, we really do mean you ,” said Pasadena Police Cmdr. Mary Schander.

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Two weekday World Cup games pose particular concern to transportation officials: Wednesday, June 22, and Wednesday, July 13, when the games will begin at 4:30 p.m.--smack in the middle of rush hour. On those days, traffic volume on Pasadena’s freeways is expected to double, said Steve Leung, Caltrans chief of traffic management.

Officials also anticipate potential problems on Sunday, July 3, when the Dodgers and the World Cup begin games within 25 minutes of each other.

For drivers not going to the games, officials strongly recommend staying off the Pasadena, Ventura and Foothill freeways in the Pasadena area. Take surface streets instead. Work late or quit early. But don’t try the major Pasadena thoroughfares two hours before or one hour after World Cup games, Schander said.

“If these are your regular commuting routes, you might want to catch up on your backlog at work,” she said. “People can control their frustration level if they think about it.”

Earlier this month, 90,000 soccer fans packed the Rose Bowl for an exhibition game between the United States and Mexico. It was a dress rehearsal plagued with problems.

Many drivers planned as they would for most games, hoping to arrive just before the opening kick. But because of traffic snarls, some fans waited for three hours or longer, attempting to reach the stadium in cars or on foot. Vehicles overheated. Scores of frustrated drivers simply pulled over and parked on freeway shoulders, abandoning their cars.

This time around, officials are trying to spread the word that spectators should arrive at least two hours early if they wish to see the entire game. And no one will be admitted into the Rose Bowl area on game days unless they have a special pass. (The closed area includes residential streets south of Washington Boulevard, west of Lincoln Avenue, and north of Orange Grove Boulevard.)

Another key difference will be the additional parking, said Sue Carpenter, a spokeswoman for the World Cup. Extra parking will be available at three auxiliary lots near the Rose Bowl.

“Parking is the issue,” Schander said.

For a mega-crowd of 90,000, the Rose Bowl has limited parking. At the stadium, there are about 19,000 parking spots; of those, 16,000 will be open to the general public on the Brookside Golf Course, at the northern end. (The parking fee is $10 each for the first five games, $20 for the rest). Another 2,000 spaces are reserved for limousines and 800 for charter buses, at the southern end, Carpenter said.

Taxis and other vehicles will not be allowed to drop off or pick up passengers. And street parking will be banned on residential streets near the stadium.

The spaces at the Rose Bowl are expected to go fast. So World Cup officials have arranged for additional parking at three lots. Shuttle buses will run every 10 minutes to the Rose Bowl. The buses will travel in special lanes--bypassing much of the congested traffic. Officials say the shuttle service will bring spectators to the Rose Bowl gates in less than 20 minutes. (The fee for parking is $15 and buses will begin operating three hours before each match. The shuttle bus is free for those who park in the lots.)

The three lots are: Ralph M. Parsons Co., 100 W. Walnut St. (at Fair Oaks Avenue), which can accommodate 2,000 vehicles; Pasadena City College, 1570 E. Colorado Blvd. (at Hill Avenue), 2,500 parking spaces; and Glendale Community College, 1500 N. Verdugo Road, Glendale, 1,100 spaces.

The parking areas will open about five hours before each game; the stadium gates will open three hours before each event. Because traffic is expected to be heavy, Schander urged spectators to arrive well in advance and “make a day of it.”

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Security checkpoints are also expected to slow the flow of fans into the stadium. Soccer fans will not be allowed to bring these items into the stadium: alcoholic beverages, drugs, weapons, poles, cans, coolers, picnic baskets, thermoses, cups, containers, strollers, banners, signs, video cameras, recorders, horns, bottles, umbrellas, balls, firecrackers, flares and Frisbees.

Here’s how to get to the Rose Bowl:

* From the San Fernando Valley: Take the Foothill Freeway east to Berkshire Avenue/Oak Grove Drive, Arroyo Boulevard/Windsor Avenue or Lincoln Avenue/Washington Boulevard. Then follow directions of the traffic control officers to the Rose Bowl general parking area.

* From the west: Take Ventura Freeway to the northbound Glendale Freeway to the Foothill Freeway. Exit at Berkshire Avenue/Oak Grove Drive, Arroyo Boulevard/Windsor Avenue or Lincoln Avenue/Washington Boulevard. Then follow directions from officers.

*From the east: Take the Foothill Freeway west to the Lincoln Avenue or Arroyo Boulevard/Windsor Avenue off-ramps.

* From the south: Take the Pasadena Freeway to the Golden State Freeway, continue north to the Glendale Freeway north to the Foothill Freeway east to the Berkshire Avenue/Oak Grove Drive off-ramp.

* WHERE TO PARK: C6