LA Metro says you can walk from Dodger Stadium to Chinatown station in 25 minutes. We tried the path
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The Los Angeles Dodgers get to take another swing at the World Series title, and now L.A. Metro is hoping the team's post season run will be able to do the unthinkable: get L.A. residents to walk.
Metro posted a video on social media urging Dodgers fans to walk from the stadium to the Chinatown rail station after home games. The video claims it can be done in about 25 minutes.
Eyewitness News put the trip to the test Monday, walking from Dodger Stadium's downtown gate to the train station. The route crosses over the 110 Freeway, to College Street and over to the rail station at the corner of College and Spring.
The trip is mostly downhill. With just a handful of traffic light waits, we finished the trip in 15 minutes and 26 seconds, well under Metro's 25 minute estimate. Worth noting that it wasn't from the base of the stadium, which could add about five more minutes onto the walk.
WATCH | Walk with us from Dodger Stadium to Chinatown Metro station
Is it safe?
We talked with Damien Kevitt, executive director of Streets Are For Everyone (S.A.F.E), a nonprofit which aims to make streets safer for pedestrians and bicyclists.
"Possibly a lot of people are laughing at this and going, 'Are you kidding? I would never walk. This is Los Angeles, right?'" Kevitt said. "But we need to walk more. It's true, we need to walk more."
As far as physical safety, Kevitt did find some concerns some people may see as deal breakers.
"There's some sketchy spots along that walk there, so it's probably not a walk that everyone would be comfortable with. There's some crossings there that are a little bit on the sketchy side from a road safety perspective," said Kevitt. "You have a lot of cars leaving the stadium at the same time. You have a lot of people leaving the stadium and unfortunately some people are drinking while they're at the stadium. That could be some tricky situations there, especially where you've got crossings."
But overall, Kevitt thinks Metro's idea is a solid plan to help alleviate traffic messes that come with Dodger games. Plus, he says you may actually save time.
"Cars that are leaving Dodger Stadium are not leaving faster than those who are walking for sure," he said.
MORE: Here is 2024 World Series Dodgers vs. Yankees schedule and how to watch
