West Hollywood Halloween: Traffic, Parking and Shuttle Guide

Sure the ghosts, vampires and zombies are spooky, but the scariest thing about Halloween might be the parking (or lack thereof) in West Hollywood.

One Santa Monica company is offering a unique way for you to avoid the hassle of finding a spot among the throng of visitors.

ParkMe is advertising it can help visitors “avoid the horror of parking downtown” by booking spots in advance. The Santa Monica-based company offers an app that provides real-time parking availability in the form of “heat maps” showing users the most likely available parking block-by-block.

Using ParkMe, you can reserve a parking spot at the Pacific Design Center garage, at 8687 Melrose Ave. near Huntley, for Halloween night. When we looked to book a spot from 6 p.m. to 3 a.m., the cost was $28. Click here to use ParkMe.

Also, the city, which has recently taken a liking to naming its shuttles, is touting its own service: FrankenRide. And you thought the PickUp Line was a big deal.

FrankenRide proposes to help you “avoid the traffic and parking hassles” by stopping at all Metro bus stops along Santa Monica Boulevard from Plummer Park to Croft Avenue and Sunset Boulevard from Horn Avenue to La Cienega Boulevard. FrankenRide comes to life at 6 p.m. and runs approximately every 10 minutes until midnight on Halloween.

The regular “Cityline” shuttle service won’t run on Halloween due to street closures.

Due to the city’s Costume Carnaval, the following streets will be temporarily closed:

• San Vicente Boulevard between Melrose Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard from 12 a.m. Thursday through 7 a.m. Friday.
• Santa Monica Boulevard between Doheny Drive and La Cienega Boulevard including all side streets from 12 p.m. Thursday through 6 a.m. Friday.
• Robertson Boulevard between Melrose Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard from 12 p.m. Thursday through 6 a.m. Friday.
• Almont Drive between Melrose Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard from 12 p.m. Thursday through 6 a.m. Friday.
• La Peer Drive between Melrose Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard from 12 p.m. Thursday through 6 a.m.
• San Vicente Boulevard between Cynthia Street and Santa Monica Boulevard from 12 p.m. Thursday through 6 a.m. Friday.
• Santa Monica Boulevard between La Cienega Boulevard and Holloway Drive/Croft Avenue from 4 p.m. Thursday through 6 a.m. Friday.
• La Cienega Boulevard between Sunset Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard from 4 p.m. Thursday through 6 a.m. Friday. Northbound La Cienega Boulevard will be open between Holloway Drive and Sunset Boulevard.
• Sunset Boulevard eastbound and westbound turn lanes onto La Cienega Boulevard from 4 p.m. Thursday through 6 a.m. Friday.

The city’s also suspending permit parking from 11 a.m. Thursday to 6 a.m. Friday. Meters, however, will be enforced.

Public parking will be available at the following locations:

City Hall Parking Lot ($20)
8300 Santa Monica Blvd. at Sweetzer

Kings Road Parking Structure ($20)
8383 Santa Monica Blvd. at Kings Road

La Jolla/Havenhurst Lot ($20)
1046 Havenhurst Drive at Santa Monica Boulevard

La Peer Lot ($20)
623 La Peer Drive at Melrose

Orange Grove Lot ($20)
1114 N. Orange Grove Ave. at Santa Monica

Pacific Design Center ($20)
8687 Melrose Ave. at Santa Monica

Queens Lot ($20)
8459 Sunset Blvd. at Queens

Spaulding Lot ($20)
7718 Santa Monica Blvd. at Spauliding

Sunset Lot ($20)
8775 Sunset Blvd. at Horn Avenue

901 Hancock Parking Structure ($20)
901 Hancock Ave. at Santa Monica