Best Play on Game Day: The Other Route

Dear Traffic Talk:

I realize this is probably a losing battle, but I thought other citizens may have had the same experience I had.

On a recent Sunday afternoon, I drove southbound on the Golden State Freeway on the way to a Los Angeles Dodgers baseball game.

I was driving in the proper lane to exit Stadium Way. During the exit, there must have been 25 vehicles that cut in front of me from the left and right lanes so they too could get in the Stadium Way exit.

It is really frustrating for any driver to see this happen, especially on that day, when the temperature was somewhere around 95 degrees.

Nathaniel Ono

Sun Valley

Dear Nathaniel:

Inevitably, prior to or after professional or other big sports and entertainment events around Southern California, there is going to be some natural congestion on the freeways.

The California Highway Patrol recommends common courtesy and patience from all drivers.

But just to make sure, the agency often increases patrol in the areas around the events, said Sgt. Ernie Garcia, an agency spokesman.

For instance, during Dodgers games, the agency increases its personnel in the few miles around the Golden State and the Pasadena freeways to about 17 car and motorcycle officers, Garcia said.

The officers routinely issue citations for everything from unsafe lane changes to unsafe turning movements and especially open containers--a common violation that occurs, usually before the games.

One way a person can avoid some of the traffic irritation is to choose alternate routes into the stadium, authorities said.

Many people coming to the Dodgers games travel relatively far and are not thoroughly familiar with the immediate area around the stadium. Most people exit on Stadium Way because it’s the most obvious way to get to the game. However, there are other exits from the freeways leading to the stadium.

For example, a person traveling north on the Golden State Freeway could exit on Broadway--well before the main stadium exit--and follow a westerly route into the stadium. One route for southbound Harbor Freeway traffic would be to exit on Solano Avenue and travel in a northwesterly direction.

Other exits off the Golden State Freeway that can lead to the stadium include Los Feliz Boulevard and Riverside and Fletcher drives.

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Dear Traffic Talk:

After waiting for many years for completion of the Valley Circle Boulevard onramp to the eastbound Ventura Freeway, I must confess that I am very disappointed with the results.

The onramp is very confusing and I am afraid that there may be a terrible accident.

For example, the onramp still has a stop sign at the Hidden Hills intersection. Then it continues with the two lanes merging into a regular--sometimes metered--lane. The diamond lane shows up without any warning.

Charlotte Chipinka

Westlake Village

Dear Charlotte:

Caltrans engineers are still evaluating that onramp and plan to make some design changes soon, said Pat Reid, a spokeswoman for the agency.

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Traffic Talk appears Fridays in The Times Valley Edition. Readers may submit comments and questions about traffic in the Valley to Traffic Talk, Los Angeles Times, 20000 Prairie St., Chatsworth 91311. Include your name, address and phone number. Letters may be edited, and no anonymous letters will be accepted. To record your comments, call (818) 772-3303. Fax letters to (818) 772-3385. E-mail questions to valley@latimes.com