Officials plead with public to avoid 405/Sepulveda Pass area during full closure weekend of July 16-17

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A news conference was held this morning at the Skirball Cultural Center about the upcoming full 405 freeway closure through the Sepulveda Pass from the evening of Friday, July 15, through the early morning of Monday, July 18, because of the partial demolition of the Mulholland Bridge.

Here are a few quick points made by elected and agency officials who spoke:

•Several elected officials used no uncertain terms to predict how bad traffic will be that weekend. “It will be an absolute nightmare,” said Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who added that widening the 405 and adding a northbound carpool lane will improve the freeway for many future years. “There’s obvious long-term gain but there will be short-term pain.”

•County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky (in the above photo), who has represented the area for 30-plus years, asked motorists to literally steer clear of the area. He added that there are no alternate routes in the immediate vicinity of the 405 that will work well — i.e. none of the obvious canyon roads linking the San Fernando Valley to the Westside. “I know every shortcut,” Yaroslavsky said. “Not one of them is going to work. They’re all going to be jammed.”

•All officials urged the public to plan ahead for the closure, cut discretionary car trips that weekend and/or stay home. Caltrans District 7 Director Michael Miles said that backups on other freeways could be felt far beyond the Valley and Westside.

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The art of transit

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photo by Friend of Expo Line, via submission

The future is almost now, eh? The photo was taken recently at the intersection of Vermont and Exposition.

To submit a photo for the Art of Transit, post it to Metro’s Flickr group, email it to sourcemetro@gmail.com or Tweet it to @metrolosangeles with an #artoftransit hashtag. Many of the photos we’ve featured can be seen in these galleries on Flickr.

Transportation headlines, Monday, June 6

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Here is a look at some of the transportation headlines gathered by us and the Metro Library. The full list of headlines is posted on the library’s blog.

The Virtues of Investing in Transportation (New York Times)

Another day, another article about the need for the U.S. to get serious about infrastructure spending – and why it just makes good economic sense. One of the most salient points made in this article: investing in public infrastructure helps the private sector. Seems like common sense, but as the article notes, infrastructure spending is at about the same level it was in 1968 (taking into account inflation and depreciation).

Put Union Station Tie in Streetcar Vision (L.A. Downtown News)

The Downtown News thinks that failing to link the proposed downtown streetcar to Union Station would be an oversight akin to the Green Line passing just short of LAX. Despite the higher cost that would almost certainly be involved in bringing the streetcar to Union Station, the authors feel it’s worth the cost because it would tap into the ridership base already coming into Union Station and encourage more car-free trips by linking to the larger transit system. Personally, I agree with the editorial – if you’re going to spend the money on a streetcar, it pays to ensure it’s tightly integrated into our growing transit network.

Top Ten Reasons to Have the Subway Station at Constellation & Avenue of the Stars (Century City Chamber of Commerce)

Who doesn’t love a top 10 list? The Century City Chamber of Commerce has put one together in defense of putting the subway station at Constellation & Avenue of the Stars – in the heart of Century City. I found #9 an interesting reason: “Will reduce the need for shuttles to bring passengers from the outside fringe areas on Santa Monica Blvd., to the center of the business district.” The Santa Monica station is about a five minute walk from the more centrally located Constellation/Avenue of the Stars station – would businesses feel compelled to provide shuttles for employees if the station was located on Santa Monica? It’s something I hadn’t considered before.

Transit forecast or Monday, June 6

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For a complete list of planned service advisories please visit the Service Advisories page on Metro.net. And for the latest service alerts follow @MetroLAalerts on Twitter.

Gold Line

Due to vehicle testing after 9pm, southbound trains to East LA or Union Station may depart Sierra Madre Villa 2 minutes later than normal.

  • Southbound trains may depart Sierra Madre Villa at 9:22pm, 9:42pm, 10:02pm, 10:22pm and every 20 minutes until last train at 12:40am.
  • Southbound trips continuing to East LA Atlantic will depart on regular schedule from Union Station.
  • During this time, trains in both directions will share ONE track at Allen Station. Please check train destination signs and announcements before boarding.

Date: through Wednesday.

Blue Line

After 8:15pm, Blue Line trains run every 30 minutes due to construction work for the future Expo Line. Please see schedule here.

Dates: through Thursday.

Red Line

Due to track maintenance work after 8:30pm, trains from North Hollywood will depart up to 5 minutes later than regular schedule. Inbound trains to Union Station will depart North Hollywood at 8:59pm, 9:19pm, 9:39pm, and every 20 minutes until 12:39am, and then 12:54am. Times are approximate and subject to minor work related delays.

During this time, trains in both directions will share ONE track at Hollywood/Highland & Hollywood/Vine Stations. Please check train destination signs and announcements before boarding.

Dates: through Thursday.

Green Line

Due to track maintenance from 9am to 2pm, westbound trains will depart 4 minutes earlier than regular schedule. Trains will leave Norwalk at 9:07am, 9:22am, 9:37am, 9:52am and every 15 minutes until 1:51pm, and then regular schedule.

Dates: through Friday.

Advisories for Lines 460, 550, Metro Silver Line, Line 66 and Lines 76, 487 after the jump. Continue reading →


Go Metro Weekends, June 3-5

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All events are subject to change or may be be sold out, please check with the venue before making plans.  To plan your trip and to check all other transit options, please consult Google Transit or the Metro Trip Planner.

Friday, June 3

First Fridays at The Natural History Museum
A talk by Dr. Luis Chiappe, performances by the band Gayngs and Dirty Beaches.
Website: http://www.nhm.org/
When: 5:30pm-10pm
Price: $9
Where: The Natural History Museum, 900 Exposition Blvd.
Nearby Metro Bus Stops: Vermont/Exposition (102, 204, 550, 754), Figueroa/Exposition (102, 442, 445, Silver Line)

Dance Downtown – Line Dance/Two-step
Two left feet? Learn how to dance and shake it, move it and groove it under the stars with live music/DJ and beginner dance lessons sprinkled throughout the evening. No experience necessary.
Website: http://www.musiccenter.org/
When: 6:30pm
Price: FREE
Where: L.A. Music Center, 135 North Grand Ave.
Nearby Metro Rail: Red/Purple Line Civic Center Station
Nearby Metro Bus Stops: Temple/Grand (2/302, 4, 10/48, 92, 445)

Arctic Monkeys at Hollywood Palladium
Arctic Monkeys became one of the U.K.’s biggest bands of the new millennium.
Website: http://www.livenation.com/Hollywood-Palladium-tickets-Hollywood/venue/73794
When: 8pm
Price: $29.50
Where: Hollywood Palladium, 6215 W. Sunset Blvd.
Nearby Rail: Red Line Hollywood/Vine Station
Nearby Metro Bus Stops: Sunset/Vine (2/302, 210)

More weekend events, after the jump. Continue reading →

Metro to offer free subway service and more frequent buses and trains to help region cope with 405 Sepulveda Pass closure

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Free rides on the subway will be offered by Metro to help area residents move around the region when the 405 freeway is shut down over the Sepulveda Pass on the weekend of July 15 to 17, agency officials said Friday.

In addition, Metro plans to run frequent weekday service on all its rail lines and the Orange Line busway that weekend. More buses will be running on key streets, including Ventura Boulevard, Sunset Boulevard, Santa Monica Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue. Only the subway will be free — regular fares will apply on other rail lines and Metro buses.

The Red Line subway offers a vital link between North Hollywood in the San Fernando Valley and downtown Los Angeles. Subway passengers can transfer from Red Line subway stations to bus service on major east-west streets to reach the Westside.

The 405 is being shut down for 53 hours that weekend for the partial demolition of the Mulholland Bridge over the freeway. The bridge is being rebuilt both wider and seismically stronger as part of the I-405 Sepulveda Pass Improvements Project that is adding a northbound carpool lane to the 405 between the 10 and 101 freeways and making numerous other fixes.

Metro, Caltrans and law enforcement officials are encouraging motorists to plan ahead for alternative routes, avoid the area or stay home. There is expected to be severe congestion throughout the area. More details are on this news release.

County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky — who is also a Metro Board Member — has a blunt post on the closure on his website. Excerpt:

Obviously, the best way to steer clear of the aggravation zone and reduce congestion is to stay home that weekend or make plans in the neighborhood, like catching a movie at the local theater. If you’re supposed to work, try to change your schedule, take a couple vacation days or telecommute.

If you must hit the road, chart a course using the region’s many other freeways. You may end up driving more miles, but I guarantee you’ll get to your destination faster than by gambling on 405 detours that could leave you stuck for hours.

For those of you who think you can outsmart this potential mother of all traffic jams, my advice is simple: save your gas. After representing the San Fernando Valley and Westside for more than three decades as a Los Angeles city councilman and county supervisor, I know virtually every shortcut in those parts—and none will work because of the sheer volume of vehicles being taken off the freeway.

A news conference on the closure will be held Monday morning. We’ll provide coverage at The Source and I am taking an educated guess that there will be a considerable media presence.

The latest detour maps for motorists are posted after the jump.

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