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 Well, they are actually constructing a new freeway in the Southland. Excitement is buildings in San Bernardino County as workers near completion for the extension of the 210 Freeway from Fontana to Highway 30 near San Bernardino. The eight-mile stretch will give residents in the area a straight freeway shot into the L.A. area. It will likely open by the end of the year:
Fontana Mayor Mark Nuaimi has labeled the Fontana portion of the 210 “The Miracle Mile” with major stores already opening along the route and the Auto Center continuing to grow.
Other cities are a little worried about congestion.
By the way, this is what Rialto's Miracle Mile would look like. Compare with L.A.'s.
 
What do you think? Where should the Southland's NEXT freeway go? Hit COMMENT and speak out!
 Is this a subway station or a fast-food eatery? That's what some subway passengers are asking as the MTA's aggressive advertising department pushes forward. The 7th and Metro station is now plastered with ads for a new McDonald's burger. And The Times' Jean Guccione notes it's far from the other new advertising Metro riders are seeing:
Besides the 7th and Metro station in downtown Los Angeles, the MTA has redecorated three other subway stations. Commuters using the North Hollywood and Universal stations are bombarded with banners for the new "Shrek the Third" movie. At Union Station, subway riders are greeted with displays on the walls and floors touting an April 14 pay-per-view fight. Trains along the Green Line, which travels down the center of the 105 Freeway, also are covered with the McDonald's ads.
 And the reaction on the platform:
Ryan White, 26, likes the new ad campaigns. "It's a good idea. It's making money and it looks better" than the tunnel's plain gray walls, said White, a South Los Angeles handyman who depends on public transit to get to jobs. "I don't think it should be there. I think it's kind of annoying," said Erica Ibarra, 18, of East Los Angeles. "It doesn't make me crave [a hamburger] at all."
What do you think? Hit COMMENT and speak out!
 How do you shame a drunk-driving suspect. Well, one California community is trying by holding the trials in front of high school students:
Mark Flores’ drunken driving case started last fall when his Lincoln Continental was spotted weaving on a residential street at 2 a.m. A blood test after his arrest revealed an alcohol level at nearly twice the legal limit. The case ended Friday with Flores’ conviction in the most unusual of courtrooms: a high school auditorium in front of about 100 fidgety teenagers. Flores, 25, a full-time student in graphic arts, agreed to have his case tried at James Lick High School in San Jose as part of a state-funded program that exposes seniors to real drunken driving trials. He faced a real judge and prosecutor, and he is scheduled to be sentenced later this month on the two misdemeanor DUI offenses. (from AP)
 Didn't they say the end of the British hostage crisis would ease the gas price rise? Guess not:
The average price of a gallon of regular self-serve unleaded gasoline rose 5.5 cents in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area this week, the ninth consecutive weekly increase, moving within 14.2 cents of the record high, the Auto Club said today. Rising crude oil prices helped push the average price to $3.26 today, 38 cents more than last month and 42 cents more than a year ago, according to the latest survey of the region’s gas stations by the Automobile Club of Southern California. (from CNS)
What do you think? How high will prices go? Hit the COMMENT button and speak out!
 Another increase for peak tolls on the 91 Express Lanes between Riverside and Orange counties. The Times' David Reyes says the top price is now $9.50 -- or roughly a buck a mile:
Starting today, it will cost drivers as much as $9.50 to use the Express Lanes to get from Orange County to Riverside County — or nearly a buck a mile. The new top fare, up a quarter from the last rate increase in January, places the 10-mile toll road among the most expensive in the country. It has doubled since 2002. Denver-area motorists pay $9.75 on Interstate 470, but that gets them nearly 50 miles. .... Why the increase? Because the toll lanes are too popular, said Kirk Avila, the Express Lanes' general manager. "We have to raise the toll to try to move people to the 'shoulder,' or off-peak hours, where they can save money," he said.
What do you think? Would you pay a $1 a mile? Is it highway robbery? Hit COMMENT and speak out!
 Here's an interesting way to reduce traffic gridlock on Wilshire Boulevard: Get those postal pick up vans off the street during rush hour: The Times' Jean Guccione reports:
The U.S. Postal Service has changed the final pickup at 300 mailboxes along Wilshire from downtown to West Los Angeles from 5 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The idea is to get the postal trucks off the boulevard before rush hour with the hope that it will ease the often grueling commute on one of the city's main east-west routes. Parking is prohibited along much of Wilshire from 7 to 9 a.m. and from 4 to 7 p.m., giving traffic an extra lane in each direction. But postal vans block those lanes most evenings as they crawl down the boulevard for the final mail run. "We run in and we run back out," said Larry Dozier, a spokesman for the Postal Service. "During peak hours, it causes more congestion."
 Despite all the advances in auto safety, a new study found that many of today's cars still don't offer enough protection against the granddaddy of all wreck injuries: Whiplash:
Seat and head restraints in more than 60 percent of car models fall short of state-of-the-art protection for neck injuries and whiplash, a new study has found. Only 22 of 75 cars tests rated good for rear crash protection in collisions, according to a new test of car seats by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), an industry group. The institute says that neck injuries are the most common injuries reported in automobile crashes, estimating that they account for 2 million insurance claims each year, costing at least $8.5 billion.
Cars that did well in the test, according to CNN/Money: Volvos, the Audi A4, S4 and A6; the Ford Five Hundred and Mercury Montego; Nissan Sentra and Versa; Saab 9-3; and Subaru Impreza and Legacy/Outback.
WHat do you think? Would you pay more for a car with better neck protection? Hit the COMMENT button and speak out!
 Those dramatic ocean vistas that come with a drive down PCH in Malibu are going to soon change. At least a little. There are a good number of safety signs coming, according to the Malibu Times. Several digital "Your Speed Is..." signs will be installed by Caltrans. But that's the beginning:
March of last year, the PCH Safety Taskforce Committee, led by Sen. Sheila Kuehl, had said that 26 "Share the Road" signs would be installed along the highway from Santa Monica to Point Mugu. The signs would remind drivers that bicyclists have a legal right to use the roadways. The reorganization of the PCH Safety Taskforce Committee and the proposal of the signs came after the deaths of two bicyclists who were hit by a catering truck while riding on Pacific Coast Highway in the fall of 2005.
Do you think these signs will make PCH safer? Hit the comment button and have your say!
 Excitement is building as Caltrans begins the process of widening one of the region's worst bottlenecks: Interstate 5 through southeastern L.A. County. But The Times' Jeff Rabin noted his examination of the freeway is that one reason it's such a bottleneck is that Orange County widening its portion of the 5 years ago -- forcing gridlock at the county line (see photo). Why? L.A. focused heavy resources on rail and mass transit while OC focused almost all its resources on roads:
In north Orange County, Interstate 5 is a 10-lane superhighway, with the broad shoulders, terra-cotta sound walls and attractive landscaping one might expect along California's main north-south artery. Just short of Los Angeles County, however, the artery clogs. It narrows to six lanes, three each way, and sheds its modern features, becoming a 1950s-vintage roadway. Right about there, many northbound motorists get mad. "The commute out of Orange County is impossible," fumed Paul Samarin, a Newport Beach lawyer, while gassing up near his home in Norwalk. "It bottlenecks and it stops."
What do you think? Hit COMMENT and speak out!
Continue reading "I-5 mess: Why LA and OC don't match" »
 Here's the kind of (alleged) traffic stop we all have nightmares about:
A woman of Iranian descent sued the California Highway Patrol for discrimination after she was stopped for speeding and an officer allegedly accused her "people" of being responsible for the Sept. 11 terror attacks. Zahra Sedaghatpour, 38, of Fremont said Officer Jon Schatmeier, 32, berated her after she asked not to be cited for traveling 79 mph on Interstate 680 in Pleasanton last year. "Today is Sept. 12. Do you remember Sept. 11? Do you know what happened on Sept. 11?" Schatmeier said according to the suit filed March 29 in San Francisco’s federal court. "It’s people like you who killed all of our people. This is our country! Why don’t you go back to your country?" Schatmeier told the woman to "shut up" and refused to provide a business card when she asked for one. When the officer asked her to sign the citation, Sedaghatpour asked whether she could read it first. The officer yelled, "I don’t have time for you foreigners to sit in your Mercedes. You think you own the road! You think you own the country," according to the suit. A CHP supervisor arrived at the scene and told the officer to release Sedaghatpour. (from AP)
 Daniel Rojas' home is one of 20 in Norwalk slated to be demolished as part of the long-awaited widening of the 5 Freeway. The PT says five homes have already been leveled, but Rojas said he would like to stay:
Caltrans plans to clear Rojas' home and about 19 others to widen the Golden State (5) Freeway to 10 lanes - a $1.4 billion project that has now been fully financed by state and federal funds, city and transportation officials plan to announce today in Norwalk. The 8-mile expansion, which would stretch from the Artesia (91) Freeway to the San Gabriel River (605) Freeway, would include rebuilding the two-lane interchange at Carmenita Road.
Do you sympathize with Rojas? Hit COMMENT and speak out!
 Is this the coolest parking lot anywhere? Santa Monica is unveiling what officials are describing the nation's first sustainable solar-powered parking structure. It has a designer look and boasts ocean views, according to the Lookout (which also has a cool photo):
The six-story, 882-space structure at the Civic Center features photovoltaic roof panels, a storm drain water treatment system, recycled construction materials and energy efficient mechanical systems. The $29 million structure -- which sits near the entrance and exit ramps at the end of the 10 Freeway -- also features ground-floor retail, art works on every floor and sweeping city and ocean views. “From the Santa Monica Mountains to Catalina Island, these parking spaces have the best view in town,” Council memebr Kevin McKeown.
 Mullholland Drive is a popular driving spot for both bikers and owners of exotic cars. But in this case, two bikers were injured when drivers of two fancy cars were drag racing. The Malibu Times reports a new state law prompted criminal charges:
Felony charges have been made against the drivers of a Ferrari and Mustang who took part March 25 in an alleged road race on Mulholland Drive that injured two motorcyclists. A new section of the state Vehicle Code just came into law this year, calling for felony charges if a person causes severe injury to another because of participation in a speed contest.
 The Daily News editorial board come out strongly against the MTA's proposed fare hikes. The paper says it only hurts the working poor and might put more cars on our congested roads:
The one thing the MTA has going for it is that it is, relatively speaking, cheap. But if the MTA goes ahead with plans to increase individual fares by 60 percent, or quintuple the price of a senior pass, it will only scare away many of its passengers. For some, transit will simply become unaffordable; for others, it will provide too little incentive not to drive one's own car. When the Riverside Transit Agency, for example, raised its rates by 25 percent in 2005, the number of its passengers dropped 11 percent. A comparable drop in L.A. would wreak havoc on our already congested roads and freeways. Raising fares undermines the very purpose of mass transit in L.A. - keeping commuters out of their cars.
And it looks like Santa Monica Big Blue Bus fares could be going up, too.
What do you think? Hit comment and join the debate about the proposed fare hikes!
 We complain about the skyrocketing price of filling up. But according to experts, we are not significantly cutting our consumption of gasoline when the prices are rising. The UT reports that a change from the oil crisis era in the 1970s. Of course, some officials say, what choice do we have:
A recent study that Christopher Knittel, an economics professor at the University of California Davis, helped write showed that every time gasoline prices went up 20 percent from November 1975 to November 1980, consumers changed their driving behavior by cutting gas consumption by 6 percent per capita nationwide. But from March 2001 to March 2006, drivers reduced consumption just 1 percent when prices rose 20 percent. ... “Our preferences have changed over the years, and we are much more willing to continue our driving habits in the face of price increases,” said Knittel.
Why do we continue to pay as prices rise? Is mass transit a solution. Hit the COMMENT button and join the discussion!
 The proposed tunnel designed to finally close the missing link on the 710 Freeway is getting some opposition from the north. Officials in La Canada-Flintridge (and apparently also Glendale) believe the MTA is not doing adequate preliminary studies of the idea:
La Cañada and other cities on or near the route have expressed concern about noise, pollution and traffic issues added to the 210, with the new traffic a tunnel would bring. Other concerns include the construction of 100 foot high smokestacks along the route, and questions about the effectiveness of air scrubber technology.
What do you think? Hit the COMMENT button and speak out!
 We've been telling you about those fancy new carpool lanes on the 22 Freeway, which allow drivers to enter and exit whenever they want rather than wait for special merge sections. Well, Orange County officials now want to expand this system to other freeways. The Times' David Reyes reports that the CHP reports no problems, and OCTA says the lanes are much easier to use. But it was a fight:
Initially, Caltrans balked at the plan of adding a lane to the 22 Freeway that carpoolers could enter and exit at will. Typically, drivers can pull into or out of the lanes only at stretches marked by broken lines. The agency changed its mind after it was criticized by the OCTA board for dragging its feet on innovative ideas. Supporters say drivers should be able to move freely in and out of carpool lanes so they can carefully move over in traffic to make their exits. Critics, however, say that it could cause more accidents when slow drivers move into a fast-moving carpool lane.
What do you think of these carpool lanes? Hit the COMMENT button and speak out!
Now it's your turn, Pasadena. The Westside was hit this morning with that tragic PCH accident that killed "Porky's" director Bob Clark and his son. Now, there is word of not one but two major accidents on the 110 north -- just as the get-out-of-downtown commute begins.
 It takes longer for officials in L.A. County to clear freeway accidents than it does in other parts of Southern California. The Times' Maeve Reston reports that Caltrans and CHP officials are now on a mission to reduce those time, to under 90 minutes for most accidents. But it sounds like they have a ways to go:
About a quarter of the congestion on U.S. roadways is due to traffic incidents, Kempton said, and on California's most problematic roadways, such as Interstate 880 in the Bay Area, accidents can contribute to as much as a third of congestion. .... Some of the causes of the delays include misunderstandings about which agency should call the coroner after fatal accidents, and officers giving inaccurate information to tow-truck operators about what equipment was needed to clear the roadway, officials said.
What do you think? Can Caltrans get those wrecks off the road in 90 minutes? Hit the COMMENT button and speak out!
  So much for "Prius Backlash." Sales of the hybrids were up 124% in March, marking an all-time sales high. (Big truck sales at GM and Ford were down). And used Prius models are also going at a premium, especially ones with those decals that allow solo driving in California carpool lanes:
Californians appear willing to pay $4,000 more for used gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles that have state-issued carpool stickers than for hybrids that don't, according to a sampling of prices by Kelley Blue Book for USA TODAY. The stickers allow low-polluting hybrids to use less-crowded, faster-moving carpool lanes, even if the driver is alone in the car. The state quit issuing stickers to hybrids last month after hitting a self-imposed cap of 85,000.
What do you think? How strong is Prius Power? Hit the COMMENT button and speak out?
 Officials in Riverside County are dealing with this:
An investigation was under way today into a Union Pacific train derailment that spilled blue-cheese dressing and concrete sealant along Highway 111 but caused no injuries. (from CNS)
Updated from AP: "It will take days, or even weeks, to clean up the mess, Union Pacific officials said."
 You think driving around L.A. is bad? Try commuting in Mexico City, where Times bureau chief Hector Tobar writes about the road rage, rudeness, chaos and long commutes (the average Mexico City commuter drives four hours a day):
Cement trucks running red lights, unlicensed bus drivers and traffic circles where a Darwinian, survival-of-the-rudest logic prevails: I fight them all just to get my daughter to preschool, a harrowing drive of 1.3 miles. Last year, more new cars were sold in Mexico than ever before: 1.2 million. In Mexico City, my minivan is one of about 6 million cars, taxis, buses and other vehicles, carrying 29 million people, that hit the streets every day. The city traffic grid, first laid out by the Aztecs, is a patched-together series of compromises with Mexico City's tumultuous history. By every measure, traffic is worse here than it's ever been, despite the heroic efforts of a small cadre of traffic engineers who struggle to keep things moving.
What do you think? Does Mexico City have it worse than LA? Any cities around the world worse? Hit the COMMENT button and join the discussion!
 The double-fatal crash that closed Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades is having ripple effects on both canyon roads and the 101 Freeway. Turns out PCH is a major route for commuters in Ventura County and the West Valley to get into the Westside. Here's what happened:
The crash occurred around 2:30 this morning in the 17300 block of PCH, said Officer R. Tango of the Los Angeles Police Department’s West Traffic Division. Killed were a man in his 50s and a man in his 20s who were in a silver Infiniti, said Officer Karen Smith of the LAPD’s Media Relations office. Their names were withheld, pending notification of relatives. A man and a woman in their 20s, the occupants of the SUV, were hospitalized with "serious" injuries, Smith said. The man is suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, she said. The impact of the crash turned the Infinity into a twisted mass of metal. (from CNS, image from KNBC)
 Cheviot Hills forces who oppose using a right-of-way in the community for the extension of the Expo Line have produced a lengthy manifesto outlining their point of view. They are proposing an alternative route that has raised the ire of Santa Monica and others. Among the highlights:
> The LAUSD has complained about a lack of noise mitigation for schools along the route
> The MTA wants to shorten the amount of time regulators have to study the safety of grade crossings.
> The MTA first said the Expo Line through the USC area would be underground for safety reason. Then, the agency broke that promise.
> The MTA is trying to "divide communities" along the Expo Line.
What do you think about the points made by Cheviot Hills forces? Hit COMMENT and speak out!
 Is more traffic-calming on the way? TJ Sullivan at Native Intelligence reports that signs are going up in some Westside neighborhoods encouraging residents to take an online survey about their attitudes about traffic calming. The bottom line: Would you be willing to face delays to reduce cut-through traffic. A sample:
Would you be in favor of traffic restrictions that may delay traffic LEAVING the neighborhood (to discourage cut-through traffic), even if it may result in some delay for you in leaving home and possible diversion of traffic to other neighborhood streets? (Examples of restrictions: turn restriction signs, delayed traffic signal timing, half-street closures, etc.)
Sullivan is skeptical ("What's next? A perimeter fence and border checkpoints?"). And the experience of Cheviot Hills is not exactly encouraging. What do you think about the spread of traffic calming? Hit the COMMENT button and speak out!
 Assemblywoman Fiona Ma was on board the French high-speed train when it broke the speed record, at 320 mph. She just happens to be a big supporter of California's languishing high-speed rail proposal. Ma insisted the rail project is central to California's future, no matter what the governor thinks:
"Our highways are congested," Ma said. "We’re not going to be able to put more runways at our airports. The only way to move people around efficiently and effectively is a high-speed rail system like we have in Europe." A spokeswoman for Schwarzenegger, Sabrina Lockhart, said the Republican governor has other priorities for state bonds, including prisons and flood control, but is willing to consider other ways to pay for high-speed rail, such as private financing. (from AP).
What do you think? Is high-speed rail the answer to California's traffic woes? Hit COMMENT and speak your mind!
 First responders, tow truck operators, highway patrol officers and state transportation officials converged in Riverside Tuesday to brainstorm about how they can slice the average time it takes to clear traffic incidents across the state in half -- from the state average of 3.1 hours to 90 minutes.
Officials were light on solutions in their presentations at the morning and afternoon sessions of the conference -- organized by Caltrans and CHP officials -- but over two days of workshops, officials hope to identify practices that have worked in some parts of California -- even simple improvements such as calling in the coroner or tow truck operators as soon as a serious accident is reported -- to get commuters out of gridlock faster.
Transportion commissioner Will Kempton noted that about 25 percent of congestion on all U.S. roadways is attributed to incidents, but on some California roadways, such as the 880 in the Bay area, he said -- it's as high as one-third. Caltrans officials said they are just beginning to compile specific data on the cause of traffic jams on Southern California's clogged roadways.
-Maeve Reston
What should we do to get accidents off freeway more quickly? Hit the COMMENT button and speak out!
 So much for people beating high price of gas by taking mass transit. There are more cars on the road in California -- and more miles driven. The Times' Ron White says this one factor in the continuing rise in gas prices:
One reason demand is growing: California alone added 700,000 registered vehicles in 2006 while adding little gasoline refinery capacity. Distances driven on California's state and federally maintained roads rose by 750 million miles in 2006. There were 29.8 million personal and commercial vehicles registered in California in 2006, the state Department of Motor Vehicles said Monday, up more than 16% from the 25.6 million in 2000. Also in 2006, the number of miles driven on state and federal roads in California rose to 182.6 billion, up 12% from the 163.6 billion recorded in 2000, according to preliminary figures released Monday by the state Board of Equalization.
What do you think? Why do we keep driving? Hit the COMMENT button and speak out!
 How can GM manage to sell its small, gas-sipping compact Chevy Aveo for $10,600 in the U.S. and $17,800 in Germany? The WSJ examines the question and finds that even as gas prices are rising, consumer demand for small, fuel-efficient American cars is still pretty modest (especially compared to Europe, where gas is more expensive):
People say that $3 a gallon gas makes them think twice about their energy consumption, and what kind of vehicles they drive. People say that global warming worries them, and that they want to do something about the tons of CO2 that burning fossil fuels pumps into the atmosphere. So far, however, these concerns haven't translated into a sustained, meaningful decrease in Americans' gasoline consumption, or significantly fewer miles traveled. Nor has there been a dramatic shift in the kinds of vehicles Americans want to buy. Small cars, small crossover wagons and compact trucks make up only about 25% of total retail sales in the U.S., says GM's Mr. Ballew, compared to 40% for small vehicles in Europe, where gas prices are about double U.S. levels.
What do you think? Hit the COMMENT button and speak out!
Crews made quick work of a big rig tanker blaze on the Hollywood Freeway at Gower that could have turned into a disaster. The Times' Andrew Blankstein says traffic was still jammed, but the fire was contained before it got out of the cab.
 Speaking of French trains, today was a big day in the world of high-speed rail: A high-speed French train with a souped-up engine and wheels broke the world speed record Tuesday for conventional rail trains, reaching 357.2 mph..... However, it fell short of the ultimate record set by Japan's non-conventional magnetically levitated train, which sped to 361 mph in 2003. (from AP)
The proposed California high-speed rail would be slower: "At speeds up to 220 mph, the express travel time from downtown San Francisco to Los Angeles is just under 2 ½ hours." Westworld.com has speeds for MTA's rail lines:
Red Line -- 70 mph maximum
Blue Line -- 55 mph max allowable; 35 mph street running
Green Line -- 55-65 mph
What do you think? Do we need faster trains? Hit the COMMENT button and speak out!
 It seems like every new rail proposal must include a junket in which politicians travel the globe for "research." Well, it's happen again -- this time a trip to France to examine high-speed rail. As the BB has reported, the state's high-speed rail proposal is not exactly on track. But still:
Six California lawmakers are traveling to France this week to study the country's TGV, or Train a Grande Vitesse. The high-speed rail opened in 1981 and carries passengers at speeds of up to 200 miles per hour. California is considering a 700-mile system of its own. Voters will determine the fate of the project with a $10 billion bond measure on the November 2008 ballot. The state is considering lines from Los Angeles to San Francisco, and Sacramento to San Diego. (from AP)
What do you think of these junkets? Do they help set rail policy or are they a waste of money? Hit COMMENT button and speak out!
 Santa Monica officials are speaking out against a proposal by some in Cheviot Hills to have the Expo Line extension end in Venice rather than Santa Monica (this route would also bypass the exclusive L.A. neighborhood, where some worry about noise and safety). But Santa Monica officials tell the Lookout that they have already spent $35 million toward having the rail line end in their town and said it makes no sense to change course:
Council members registered their strong disapproval last month for a route proposed by some Cheviot Hills residents at a packed meeting March 15 that would follow Venice Boulevard and skip Santa Monica altogether, despite years of planning and lobbying by City officials.
Santa Monica says it supports the Exposition Boulevard right-of-way route that some in Cheviot Hills oppose.
What do you think? Hit the COMMENT button and speak out!
 Commuters on the 118 Freeway have been waiting for this one for a long time. Work has begun on widening the route around the Ventura-L.A. county line. It's an area where Caltrans engineers awarded an "F" for traffic flow, the Star reports:
The work, expected to take more than two years, includes not only widening the roadway from Tapo Canyon Road as it heads east into the San Fernando Valley, but also the construction of sound walls along the highway and fiber optics to better regulate the flow of traffic onto freeway onramps. The second phase of the work is to begin in mid-2008 and includes widening the westbound portion.
Widening work is also going on along the nearby 23 Freeway.
 The Bottleneck Blog is pretty envious of Peter Adderton. The Orange County CEO uses a Eurocopter EC120B to fly over traffic for his daily commute from Newport to L.A.'s Westside. He and his family love their 6,000-square-foot home in Newport Coast, The Register reports, and he can apparently afford the $1.3 million for the used copter. The view during his commute can be amazing:
Door-to-door, from his Newport Coast home to his West Los Angeles office, takes about 45 minutes with most of the distance covered during a 20-minute flight. If Adderton were to drive all 54 miles – even in his new 604-horsepower Mercedes S65 AMG – the commute up the San Diego (I-405) Freeway could easily exceed two hours.
 Flashback to 1984. The Wall Street Journal captured L.A.'s fear of the Olympics ruined by bad traffic:
Stanley Buckmaster has nightmares about "Black Friday." That is what he and other officials at the California Transportation Department call Aug. 3 - a day when sellout boxing, swimming and track and field competition run almost all day long in the Coliseum - University of Southern California area. Given Los Angeles's almost fanatical attachment to the private automobile and a shortfall of 16,000 parking places in the area, traffic could be a big problem."
Of course, those fears were not realized. Olympic honcho Peter Ueberroth recently talked about the 1984 traffic miracle to the Chicago Tribune: He was sitting in a helicopter above what usually is the most congested freeway interchange in downtown Los Angeles. Broadcasting from the chopper to local radio stations, he was able to count cars as they passed below. "Any city can plan around traffic, with a little cooperation from the public," Ueberroth said.
But The Times noted back in 1985 that it wasn't exactly a miracle: " [It was] no fluke but resulted to a large degree from employer policies during the Games (23% of major employers surveyed used staggered shifts; 33% permitted flextime)."
What do you think? Hit the COMMENT button and speak out!
 "If you look at the cities around the world, they all have traffic issues." So says Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in pushing forward with L.A.'s bid for the 2016 Olympics. But The Times' Charles Proctor reports that a new study finds the games would bring close to 900,000 visitors to L.A. The mayor insists we can deal:
According to the study, the Olympics would attract about 877,000 visitors, who would spend money on area hotels, restaurants and transportation but also possibly strain the city's clogged streets and freeways. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said traffic should be alleviated by the planned construction of carpool lanes on the 5 and 405 freeways and rail lines to the city's east side and Santa Monica. He also pointed out that other cities expected to compete for the games — including Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro and Madrid — also have congestion problems.
Should L.A. host the games, or is it a recipe for traffic disaster? Hit the COMMENT button and speak out!
 There has been a lot a talk about how relatively few downtown L.A. dwellers use mass transit despite the many subways, light rails, trains and buses available. Well, one more person has made the change. Kathryn Maese write this week about her leap into the car-less world. She worried about losing indpendence, but found it "pretty liberating:"
It didn't come easy, though. In fact, it was downright scary as I reluctantly handed over the pink slip to the new owner. What would I do if I had a last-minute appointment? Would I want to hassle with walking or taking the bus after a long day? What if I had errands to run or needed to meet someone at a restaurant?
Have you turned in your pink slip? Can more people go without their cars? Hit COMMENT and speak out!
 Traffic could get flowing better along Hawthorne Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway in Torrance. The city is moving toward taking control of the major boulevards from Caltrans. Officials tell the Breeze the move will allow them to make traffic improvements -- an issue that Torrance and Caltrans have in the past clashed over:
City staff members believe it will cost $25 million to $30 million for each road, which the state would provide to the city in the form of a one-time payment. But negotiations over the exact amount likely would take at least a year, officials said.... Among the benefits: allowing the city to improve the timing of signal lights to improve traffic flow and reduce the bureaucracy needed to upgrade the roads.
 The 5-805 junction in San Diego has long been that county's biggest traffic nightmare. But officials are celebrating the completion of a major improvement project. AP says the interchange at its widest is now 21 lanes:
The busiest bottleneck on San Diego's freeways is about to start flowing a little more smoothly. That's the hope of Caltrans officials, Mayor Jerry Sanders and others who on Tuesday marked the completion of a $176 million, five-year project to widen the clogged stretch of freeway where Interstate 5 merges with Interstate 805.... "It's going to reduce the congestion significantly," said Mohammed Khan, the senior Caltrans engineer who supervised the project. "It's going to be such an easy split now."
Cool before-and-after graphic from Caltrans.
 That ride to Vegas looks is looking a little better. Caltrans and local officials are celebrating the completion of major improvements along the 15 Freeway near Devore (work that caused some major weekend backups). The PE says all seems well now:
As part of the project, Caltrans repaved a seven-mile stretch of I-15, replacing cracked, deteriorating pavement with a longer-lasting surface that should make for a smoother ride. Also, a new fast lane was added on a three-mile northbound section, allowing Caltrans to create a truck-climbing lane on the right-hand side. ... The additional lane helps relieve a bottleneck that often occurred when traffic from I-15 and I-215 merged onto northbound I-15, Suydam said.
 On an L.A. gas prices web forum, they are talking about a gas-buying boycott day in July to protest the high prices. Meanwhile, Consumer Affairs said experts are puzzled as to why California's gas prices (usually No. 2 behind Hawaii) are actually exceeding Hawaii's prices this year:
Californians usually pay more for gas because the cleaner burning fuel blends mandated by the state cost consumers about 5 to 7 cents more per gallon. Usually, the only state that surpasses California in gas prices is Hawaii. "This year, we even topped Hawaii," [AAA's Carol] Thorp said. ... It's unclear when gas price increases will start slowing down, Thorp said. "There's an anxiety in the marketplace," Thorp said. "And a great deal of profit-taking."
Have you also heard about this gas station in Omaha that claims to provide "terror-free gas" (meaning profits don't go to terror groups)?
What do you think? Would a gas station boycott work? Hit COMMENT and speak out!
 The LAPD and community groups are showcasing a new tool in tracking stolen cars. It's a device that automatically scans license plates, and The Times' Rong-Gong Lin II went to the San Fernando Valley and found signs the system works:
They each chipped in thousands of dollars from their city-funded budgets and bought three $20,000 high-tech devices that when mounted atop patrol cars scan thousands of license plates, instantly alerting officers to stolen cars.... The groups gathered with Los Angeles Police Department officials to celebrate their first achievements: 10 stolen cars recovered since January in the Foothill Division; three more found with the suspected thief driving. In North Hollywood, 30 stolen cars have been recovered since December, and 10 others were identified with the suspect behind the wheel. ....The equipment arrived as police were seeing a recent uptick in auto thefts. There have been 1,510 auto thefts in the Valley so far this year, about 9% more than last year.
What do you think of these license plate scanners? Hit the COMMENT button and speak out!
 Times Staff Writer Jean Guccione answers questions about Southern California traffic.
Q: Hasn't Olympic Boulevard been one-way before now?
A: Sort of. Harry Parker, who worked for years as the county’s top traffic engineer before retiring, said the concept of one-way streets is not that revolutionary. Many other places do it. "It is just outside the Los Angeles experience," he said. About 1949, city engineers converted six miles along Olympic into contraflow lanes twice a workday to get hurried commuters downtown to work in the morning and the home to the Westside in the evening (more lanes were reserved with cones for eastbound traffic in the AM and westbound traffic in the PM). It lasted until 1966, a year after the Santa Monica Freeway was completed. During that time, Olympic carried more vehicles than any other street in the nation.
Do you have a question. comment or suggestion for Jean? Hit COMMENT button below.
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