A method for distributing wireless device traffic load in a wireless communication system having a plurality of base stations, the method executed at a serving base station of the plurality of base stations and the method comprising: determining a load on the serving base station; determining a priority for each of a plurality of target base stations of the plurality of base stations, the priority being based at least in part on a number of wireless devices being served by the serving base station that receive a signal from a corresponding target base station that exceeds a threshold; and when a determination is made to change a load on the serving base station based on a comparison of the load on the serving base station to a load change threshold, sending a load change request to a target base station having a highest priority, wherein the load change threshold is a load balancing threshold and when the comparison indicates that the load exceeds the load balancing threshold, the load change request is a load balancing request, requesting that the target base station is to receive handover of at least one wireless device currently served by the serving base station, and receiving a message from the target base station, wherein - the message is a load balancing accept message in the case that the target base station can accept handover of at least one wireless device currently served by the serving base station, and - the message is a load balancing reject message in the case that a load on the target base station exceeds an admission control threshold; wherein the method further comprises, in the case of receiving a load balancing reject message from the target base station, sending a load balancing request to an alternate target base station which has a next highest priority. determining a load on the serving base station; determining a priority for each of a plurality of target base stations of the plurality of base stations, the priority being based at least in part on a number of wireless devices being served by the serving base station that receive a signal from a corresponding target base station that exceeds a threshold; and when a determination is made to change a load on the serving base station based on a comparison of the load on the serving base station to a load change threshold, sending a load change request to a target base station having a highest priority, wherein the load change threshold is a load balancing threshold and when the comparison indicates that the load exceeds the load balancing threshold, the load change request is a load balancing request, requesting that the target base station is to receive handover of at least one wireless device currently served by the serving base station, and receiving a message from the target base station, wherein - the message is a load balancing accept message in the case that the target base station can accept handover of at least one wireless device currently served by the serving base station, and - the message is a load balancing reject message in the case that a load on the target base station exceeds an admission control threshold; - the message is a load balancing accept message in the case that the target base station can accept handover of at least one wireless device currently served by the serving base station, and - the message is a load balancing reject message in the case that a load on the target base station exceeds an admission control threshold; wherein the method further comprises, in the case of receiving a load balancing reject message from the target base station, sending a load balancing request to an alternate target base station which has a next highest priority.