Dodger Stadium Opening Day: No April Fool's Joke. No Traffic On The 2 Freeway, No Air Traffic

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 1, 2013, 12:18 PM.  The 2 Freeway southbound at Rosebud Ave overpass was wide open all morning.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

When you work at home, you usually have to plan around Opening Day for Dodger Stadium, even though we're about a mile north of the stadium.  Traffic on Riverside Drive usually backs up as far north as Allesandro Elementary School. 

The 2 Freeway is usually backed up starting at 8 AM 'til game time around 1 PM.  You know it's Dodger traffic because the commuters don't usually play their car stereos with house rattling bass, so loud you can sing along from 8o' above the freeway. 

If you live on the southbound side of the 2 Freeway, the exhaust fumes are stifling on opening day from hours of standstill traffic. 

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 1, 2013, 12:17 PM.  Even the 5 Freeway southbound at the Newell overpass was moving most of the day until about 11:30 AM.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 1, 2013.  Blimp over Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract. 

 

Last year we were overwhelmed by air traffic; by 8 AM, there were already lots of small planes, many trailing advertising, the Goodyear Blimp and news helicopters created an almost war zone in the skies above Elysian Heights, Elysian Valley, Echo Park and our edge of Silver Lake. The aerial onslaught continued all day. 

This year, I saw 2 small planes close to game time and the Goodyear Blimp was the only advertising vehicle.  They even seemed to change the usual military jet flyover pattern.  I heard jets, but never saw them.   

Thank you Dodgers for finally appearing to take the community's complaints seriously after 50 years.  I'm sure The Eastsider will cover happenings closer to Dodger Stadium today.