Dogman
14th July 2011, 11:28 AM
By Mark R. Bryant, msnbc.com contributor
Los Angeles officials are putting the fear of gridlock into drivers, calling this weekend’s shutdown of a chunk of Interstate 405 “Carmaggedon.”
"It will be an absolute nightmare," warned Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (http://www.latimes.com/topic/politics/antonio-villaraigosa-PEPLT007500.topic) in a speech.
"Stay the heck out of here," L.A. County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky (http://www.latimes.com/topic/politics/zev-yaroslavsky-PEPLT007600.topic) said at a news conference.
Ashton Kutcher, Kim Kardashian and William Shatner have tweeted their warnings, responding to LAPD’s request of celebrities with large followings to get the word out.
For 53 hours this weekend, 10 miles of northbound I-405 between Route 101 and Interstate 10 will be shut down to demolish half of the Mulholland Bridge at the top of Sepulveda Pass. Four miles of the southbound lanes of I-405 will be closed.
Every day, about 500,000 vehicles pass through that stretch of interstate, the busiest in the nation.
JetBlue is offering one alternate route for avoiding the gridlock: $4 flights, each way, between Burbank and Long Beach (http://www2.jetblue.com/deals/overthe405/).
But Angelenos aren’t the only ones inconvenienced.
Travel and tourism are the No. 1 industry in L.A., said Carol Martinez, vice president for communications at the Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau. Each year, 25.7 million overnight visitors come to L.A., with July being one of the busier months.
http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/110713-carmaggedeon.nv_nws.jpg
Damian Dovarganes / AP
Northbound Interstate 405 traffic flows under the Mulholland Bridge at the top of Sepulveda Pass in Los Angeles on Tuesday. Starting July 16, 11 miles of the 405 Interstate, which carries some 500,000 cars daily, will shut down for 53 hours.
The bureau has spent months getting the word out around the world in English, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, German and Portuguese. And they’re posting 405 tweets about what to do in L.A. by public transit, Martinez said, “so you can still have a great day in L.A.”
Los Angeles International Airport could be as crazy as the day before Thanksgiving. Airport officials are urging people to use shuttles and buses, and warning them it could take three times as long to get to LAX (http://lawa.org/405/).
But common sense may trump the gas pedal. Drivers in L.A. have adapted before, following the 1994 Northridge earthquake, which shut down I-10 for three months, and during the 1984 Summer Olympics (http://www.latimes.com/topic/sports/multi-sport-events/summer-olympics-15073001.topic).
So what to do for the weekend?
Newport Beach in nearby Orange County is enticing people with deals at some of the city’s hotels and restaurants. And L.A. County suggests 53 ways to survive without the 405 (http://zev.lacounty.gov/news/transportation/405-report/53-ways-to-survive-without-the-405).
But why not witness a carless interstate? Hotel Angeleno stands beside it. As for any special events to mark the roaring silence, a spokeswoman said, “We’ve actually chosen not to comment on the 405.”
http://overheadbin.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/07/13/7076684-la-braces-for-carmageddon-but-hopes-for-good-karma
Los Angeles officials are putting the fear of gridlock into drivers, calling this weekend’s shutdown of a chunk of Interstate 405 “Carmaggedon.”
"It will be an absolute nightmare," warned Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (http://www.latimes.com/topic/politics/antonio-villaraigosa-PEPLT007500.topic) in a speech.
"Stay the heck out of here," L.A. County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky (http://www.latimes.com/topic/politics/zev-yaroslavsky-PEPLT007600.topic) said at a news conference.
Ashton Kutcher, Kim Kardashian and William Shatner have tweeted their warnings, responding to LAPD’s request of celebrities with large followings to get the word out.
For 53 hours this weekend, 10 miles of northbound I-405 between Route 101 and Interstate 10 will be shut down to demolish half of the Mulholland Bridge at the top of Sepulveda Pass. Four miles of the southbound lanes of I-405 will be closed.
Every day, about 500,000 vehicles pass through that stretch of interstate, the busiest in the nation.
JetBlue is offering one alternate route for avoiding the gridlock: $4 flights, each way, between Burbank and Long Beach (http://www2.jetblue.com/deals/overthe405/).
But Angelenos aren’t the only ones inconvenienced.
Travel and tourism are the No. 1 industry in L.A., said Carol Martinez, vice president for communications at the Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau. Each year, 25.7 million overnight visitors come to L.A., with July being one of the busier months.
http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/110713-carmaggedeon.nv_nws.jpg
Damian Dovarganes / AP
Northbound Interstate 405 traffic flows under the Mulholland Bridge at the top of Sepulveda Pass in Los Angeles on Tuesday. Starting July 16, 11 miles of the 405 Interstate, which carries some 500,000 cars daily, will shut down for 53 hours.
The bureau has spent months getting the word out around the world in English, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, German and Portuguese. And they’re posting 405 tweets about what to do in L.A. by public transit, Martinez said, “so you can still have a great day in L.A.”
Los Angeles International Airport could be as crazy as the day before Thanksgiving. Airport officials are urging people to use shuttles and buses, and warning them it could take three times as long to get to LAX (http://lawa.org/405/).
But common sense may trump the gas pedal. Drivers in L.A. have adapted before, following the 1994 Northridge earthquake, which shut down I-10 for three months, and during the 1984 Summer Olympics (http://www.latimes.com/topic/sports/multi-sport-events/summer-olympics-15073001.topic).
So what to do for the weekend?
Newport Beach in nearby Orange County is enticing people with deals at some of the city’s hotels and restaurants. And L.A. County suggests 53 ways to survive without the 405 (http://zev.lacounty.gov/news/transportation/405-report/53-ways-to-survive-without-the-405).
But why not witness a carless interstate? Hotel Angeleno stands beside it. As for any special events to mark the roaring silence, a spokeswoman said, “We’ve actually chosen not to comment on the 405.”
http://overheadbin.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/07/13/7076684-la-braces-for-carmageddon-but-hopes-for-good-karma