For punk rock enthusiasts, NO VALUES 2024 was a once-in-a-lifetime single-day lineup. Some of the bands hailed from the early days of punk rock (generally accepted as the early to mid-1970s if you believe there was an actual beginning), while others had their heydays in the late 1970s to the early 1980s. Just by reviewing some of the featured artists, namely The Damned, The Misfits, Suicidal Tendencies, The Exploited, Jello Biafra, and The Dead Milkmen, among countless others, it’s clear plenty of hours were spent forming this lineup, this magical day, and in creating the NO VALUES branding.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that transportation logistics were given enough hours or creative thinking as the rest of the festival. Many festival-goers spent more time in their cars in nightmarish traffic trying to enter and exit the parking lots (many over four hours) than they did at the actual festival. Difficult-to-navigate-transportation logistics are not unheard of when it comes to large music venues. It typically takes over eight hours to exit the Burning Man Festival due to its remote desert location with limited existing infrastructure. In contrast, NO VALUES occurred in an urban environment in the greater Los Angeles area, one of the most populated, built-out, and largest economic engines in the United States. So, what transportation solutions could be implemented to help alleviate excessive gridlock for many festival goers?
The NO VALUES Festival’s Pomona, California, venue was accessible for all Southern California punk rock fans. Pomona is relatively central for residents of its surrounding counties, each with a long history of passionate punk rock fans. Pomona also lies near numerous interstates and freeways, which may be part of the problem: Southern California has a long history of accepting the personal vehicle as the default transportation mode.
However, there is a Metrolink station only two miles from the NO VALUES venue, providing access to Southern California’s commuter rail service. Yet, there were no advertisements or accommodations for alternative transportation to the festival. In fact, VIP ticket purchasers “automatically” received a preferred parking pass. In the chaos of the day, many festival goers with preferred parking were told it was at capacity before the section was full or were told they were being sent to preferred parking when they were not. While the festival’s organizers recognized that the transportation logistics were less than desirable, doubling down on “traffic and parking operations” is not the best solution.
Promoters of all events (concerts, sports, and other large collections of crowds) should take the cue from the Swifties and maximize alternatives to the personal vehicle for many reasons, including the following:
- Work with transportation agencies to allow more trains and buses to run late and cover part of the costs along with having shuttles to and from the concert and stations, similar to what Beyonce did in Washington, DC, when rain wreaked havoc, and she agreed to cover the costs of the Metro trains running later.
- Transportation equity remains a top issue for policymakers, but shouldn’t event promoters also provide options to those without ready access to a personal vehicle? After all, most of the punk movement was ahead of its time in terms of equality and speaking out against injustice. In the case of the NO VALUES Festival, what better way to promote that movement than by providing all fans access (and easy egress) to a punk rock festival?
- Fans also want choices. If some fans who are alone choose to imbibe, they should not be forced to drive over applicable alcohol limits. For example, if some fans want to carpool, they should have better access and dedicated carpool lanes into and out of concert venues.
Alas, there is hope that NO VALUES 2025 (if there is one and if it will be at the Pomona Fairplex again) should be a vastly different experience. That’s because the A Line extension should begin its completion in early 2025, and it will eventually be practically next door to the La Verne Station once the Foothill Extension is completed. The question for all large-scale entertainment events will be, though, how many fans are willing to ride in a train that could likely also take several hours to get to their final destinations? This is where the benefits of transit travel will need to be weighed against idling in a car. Punk rockers are known for bucking the mainstream and going their own way. One way they can do that is by forgoing the personal vehicle and emulating the Swifties by riding public transit with a punk rock snarl across their faces.
