Organizers say the 2016 International Route 66 Festival in downtown Los Angeles on Nov. 10-13 will be the first time the festival is in a metropolitan setting.
To that end, co-organizer Scott Piotrowski in an email noted another big difference potential attendees should to know:
It is important to note that for the first time, a Route 66 festival will be ENCOURAGING people to arrive via alternative means of transportation. I bring that up because the Gold Line (light rail) extension to Azusa will be opening this spring. That will take the light rail to a series of hotels within close proximity to the Arcadia station. We will be working to secure some accommodation options here as well as Downtown, and are planning to work on shuttles from the nearest Gold Line station directly to the festival. All festival events, however, will take place immediately within that Broadway corridor.
Additionally, for those flying into the festival, be aware that there is a shuttle called the FlyAway that takes you from LAX to Union Station where you can join the Gold Line. It’s $8 per person one way and more information can be found here https://www.lawa.org/FlyAway/Default.aspx. Additional information on the Gold Line (and all mass transit in Los Angeles) can be accessed at https://www.metro.net/
It should be noted one still can drive to Broadway in downtown Los Angeles. But taking public transportation probably will result in fewer headaches.
This new twist in the festival comes at a time when more young urban-dwellers favor walking, cycling and public transportation more than car ownership. But how this new transportation wrinkle ultimately affects the festival is anyone’s guess.
The event coincides — not by accident — with the 90th anniversary of Route 66. The festival area will be near Route 66’s original western terminus of Seventh and Broadway in downtown L.A. In 1926, it was one of the busiest intersections in America. (The terminus later was moved further west to Santa Monica.)
Downtown Los Angeles is undergoing a big revitalization following many years of decline. So the newly burgeoning festival area — along with the anniversary — should make it an intriguing event.
(Nighttime image of Broadway in downtown Los Angeles by Tommy Wooh via Flickr)