Going to Dodger Stadium for the World Series? Five ways to avoid parking and traffic headaches

Baseball fans across Los Angeles and beyond are gearing up for a historic Friday night as the Dodgers take on the Yankees in the first game of the World Series.

The last time the two legendary Major League Baseball franchises played for a championship title was 43 years ago.

Fans who plan to see the game live at Chavez Ravine may already be trying to come up with the best strategy to get to the stadium ahead of the 5 p.m. start time and avoid Los Angeles’ notoriously nasty traffic — not to mention the exorbitant parking rates at the stadium.

The roadway gridlock on the 110 Freeway will likely be extra-heavy because Dodgers fans will also have to contend with traffic from a USC football game at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, with gates opening up for tailgaters at 2 p.m.

But you don’t need a car to get to Blue Heaven on Earth. You can avoid the traffic and the parking expense with these alternate methods of transportation that include public transit and pedal power.

Take the Metro

The Los Angeles Metro’s bus line 4 has a stop at the corner of Sunset Blvd. and Vin Scully Avenue — the closest stop to the stadium. From the bus stop its about a 10-minute walk to the top of the stadium’s hill.

Take the Dodger Stadium Express

The Dodger Stadium Express is a free bus ride you can hop on from Union Station or one of four transit center locations in the South Bay.

For a parking fee of $8, you can leave your car at Patsaouras Bus Plaza at Union Station and catch the express bus from Bus Bay 9.

The Union Station bus service runs every 10 minutes, starting three hours before the game.

“We encourage game-day attendees to arrive early to ensure they get a seat and help alleviate wait times,” said Dave Sotero, communications director for Metro.

The service drops riders off at two stops within the stadium grounds, behind center field or at the top deck.

After the game, you can catch a ride back to Union Station at these same drop-off locations. This service runs for 45 minutes after the final out or 20 minutes after postgame events.

You can catch the South Bay express bus service at the bus stations along the 110 Freeway, with stops on Slauson Avenue, Manchester Avenue, Harbor Freeway, Rosecrans Avenue and the Harbor Gateway Transit Center (Bay 9).

Whatever South Bay location you use, the bus runs every 30 minutes starting three hours before game time, with the last bus leaving the Harbor Gateway Transit Center at game time.

With only one stop, this service drops you off behind center field.

The South Bay service begins its ride back after the end of the seventh inning, with the last bus departing 45 minutes after the final out or 20 minutes after a postgame event. Service back to any transit location will start at the same drop-off locations.

During the game, both Union Station and South Bay bus services will be available to and from the stadium every 30 minutes.

Hail a rideshare lift from your mobile app

Make plans with friends and share a ride on a Uber, Lyft or another ride sharing service (and ask the driver to blast Randy Newman’s “I Love L.A.”).

Uber is the franchise’s preferred rideshare service, allowing Uber drivers to enter any autogate to drop their riders off. All other rideshare services must enter at Sunset Gate A and drop off at Lot 11, further down the hill.

If you decide to take a taxi service to the game, the drop-off location is Lot I, by first base. The same area will be the pickup location for the ride back home.

Ride your bike and store it

Depending on where you live, you can ride your bike to the stadium and lock it up at one of the many racks on the stadium grounds. But be prepared to pedal up a few hills.

If you live in the Chinatown neighborhood, for example, you can traverse a bike lane from College Street to Stadium Way — and then ride or walk up the stadium’s hill. The ride can take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes.

Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition’s Eli Kaufman previously told LAist that he recommends taking Cesar Chavez Avenue to the stadium’s Sunset Gate.

The ride from Echo Park is about 11 minutes and can be done by taking Sunset Boulevard but there are some areas along the way without a protected bike lane.

The stadium has multiple bike-rack lockup locations including Lot N (reserve level) on the right side of the field, Lot B (reserve level) and Lot D (club suits/lodge level) both on the left side of the field. Another location is Lot P, on the top deck.

Walk from the nearest Metro Station

They say nobody walks in L.A. but you can prove them wrong by making the 25 to 30 minute stroll to the stadium from the Metro’s Chinatown Station. You can catch the A Line that leaves you at the intersection of Alameda and College streets, a three-quarter-mile walk to the stadium.