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The 93rd Rose Bowl kicks off just after 2pm on Monday, and anybody with tickets (or hope of scalping them) had better be prepared for more than just traffic. It's bad enough that almost 100,000 people will attempt to cram into a small area, but additional street closures and crowds from one of the world's most famous parades creates a formula for disaster.
When USC and UCLA played on December 2, Pasadena Police blocked off roads that were traditionally open during Rose Bowl events. Cars with designated parking on private property were forced to find parking elsewhere in Pasadena. This not only caused people to miss pre-game events, but forced many to scale barbed-wire fences and climb down steep ravines in order to access the stadium.
Pasadena PD's blockades (and failure to provide reasonable traffic alternatives) resulted in additional gridlock, prevented residents from accessing their homes, and endangered the safety of fans. According to PPD's Corporal Robert Mercado, the Rose Bowl area was so crowded that they went to "Plan B." While he didn't elaborate very much, Plan B apparently involves blocking roads and "allowing" vehicles to park in distant residential areas that would otherwise be restricted.
Corporal Mercado mentioned that, "I believe that the Rose Bowl notifies the residents about events." However, at least some residents were not notified of Plan B on December 2nd when the intersections at Orange Grove/West Holly and Linda Vista/Lida were barricaded.
Mercado insisted these measures are necessary when there is no more parking available around the Rose Bowl. He also said that more people came just for the tailgate parties at the USC-UCLA game (stadium attendance: 90,622) than the USC-Texas national championship game last January (stadium attendance: 93,986). While he couldn't provide a vehicle count for either event, LAist can confirm that there was a much higher demand for tickets at the January event, and more people wanted to get into the stadium but couldn't.
Here are some suggestions to avoid a barbed-wire fence-climbing experience of your own:
Arrive Early - You know it's going to be bad, so get there early and be prepared to tailgate for several hours.
Be Informed - The Pasadena Police have an information page for people planning to park around the Rose Bowl on New Year's.
Use Local Connections - If you live in Pasadena or are parking at the house of a friend or relative, get or borrow a Rose Bowl Resident Pass, available from either the Pasadena Fire or Police Departments. This will get you past some barricades, but not necessarily all of them (ex: you won't get past parade route closures).
Come from Glendale - Go in the "back way" to avoid the most likely closures. Print out some maps and think about taking the Berkshire/Oakgrove exit off the 210 or head over Chevy Chase.
Tune In - Set your radio dial to 1320AM for announcements on road closures. Apparently they announced a "Plan B on the south end" on December 2, but many people didn't know about the station.
Plan Your Event - If you're having a pre-game party or even an unrelated event, contact the Pasadena Police at their non-emergency number to get advice. They may be able to provide you with courtesy passes for your guests to get through traffic and to where they're supposed to be.
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