The Road to Staples Center

From the San Fernando Valley or Pasadena, take the 9th Street exit off the Harbor Freeway (I-110) and take Francisco Street to Olympic Boulevard.

* From the Westside, avoid freeways altogether. Take such streets as Wilshire, Pico, Olympic or Adams boulevards.

* From the San Gabriel Valley, take the Los Angeles Street exit off the Santa Monica Freeway (I-10). Go straight on 17th Street, right on Olive Street and left on 11th Street.

* From Long Beach or the South Bay, take the Adams Boulevard exit off the Harbor Freeway, drive one block west and turn north on Figueroa Street.

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Alternative routes will be broadcast on an advisory radio station at HAR-AM (1630) and flashed across electronic message boards on freeways and surface streets. Traffic-control officers near the arena will direct people away from Staples Center, where there is little parking, toward other lots.

Staples Center has scattered parking in a four-block radius. Those areas, with more than 40 entrances to 22 lots, are supposed to prevent long lines of cars. Parking rates range from $8 to $15, depending on proximity, with most spaces closer than a five-minute walk and none farther than eight minutes, planners say.

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Alternative Modes

Bicycles: Racks for 55 bikes will be available on the northwest side of the arena.

Mass Transit: Numerous MTA buses serve the major streets near Staples Center, which is just a block from the Metro Blue Line/Pico station and four blocks from the Metro Red Line. The trains run every 10-20 minutes. The last train from the Pico station to 7th Street/Metro Center leaves at 10:54 p.m. and the last train from the Pico station to Long Beach leaves at 11:27 p.m. For information on MTA bus routes call (800) COMMUTE or check the MTA’s Internet site at https://www.mta.net

MetroLink: Trains from outlying areas of Ventura, Riverside and Orange counties run weekdays during peak commuting hours, but they also can be used for weekend trips. Groups can charter a train and buy special tickets that include a shuttle from Union Station to the arena. For more information, call MetroLink (800) 371-LINK.

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With the opening of Staples Center comes more traffic to downtown. A few navigating tips: