Smart move on Labor Day traffic

O.C. officials have decided it may not be the best idea to do construction during the busy holiday weekend, the OCR reports:

Commuters on the northern stretch of the I-5 freeway will get a break this holiday weekend. Nighttime freeway closures near the Orange County-Los Angeles border will be suspended from tonight until Monday night. The closures will resume at 10 p.m. Tuesday on the north and southbound I-5 –- between the 91 freeway to Artesia Boulevard –- to finish the demolition of the Stanton Avenue bridge.

Orange Line bus, Mercedes mix it up

An accident on the Orange Line this morning left two injured:

Two people were hurt today when a Mercedes-Benz, whose driver ran a red light, T-boned an Orange Line bus, a Metro official said. The crash occurred at 9:34 a.m. on the busway that runs along Victory Boulevard, said Helen Gilstrap of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The bus was eastbound on the busway, crossing Woodman Avenue, when the Mercedes driver, who was northbound on Woodman, ran the red light, Gilstrap said. The car slammed into the middle accordion section of the 60-foot-long bus, she said. The bus driver and a passenger complained of back and neck pain, respectively, she said. Both were taken to Kaiser Permanente in Panorama City to be checked out, she said. The driver of the Mercedes was unhurt. (CNS)

Getting ugly at the border

Looks like things are getting ugly at the border, with the CHP closing down roads. Maybe time to postpone that trip?

All vehicle traffic heading into Mexico through the nation’s busiest border crossing was blocked Friday by the California Highway Patrol ahead of expected demonstrations in Tijuana. Four CHP vehicles stocked with riot gear were parked across empty southbound Interstate 5 at the San Ysidro Port of Entry, with no protesters immediately in sight. Traffic heading south for the Labor Day weekend was being diverted to a nearby border checkpoint at Otay Mesa, about 10 miles east, according to CHP Officer Terry Brollini. (AP)

See more below

Weekend traffic guide

Heads up on these weekend traffic issues:

--INTERSTATE 5: Traffic heading north from the L.A. area will find itself squeezed on the 5 Freeway, the state's main north-south artery, 5 miles north of Castaic. One of the freeway's four northbound lanes will be closed, as it has been for the last 18 months, while repairs continue on a hillside rendered unstable by heavy storms. Travelers can expect delays as long as 30 minutes.

--BORDER: People heading to San Diego and Mexico today can expect delays because all southbound lanes of Interstates 5 and 805, just north of the border crossing, were to be closed. A protest scheduled between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on the Mexican side will probably close down crossings on both sides for most of today at San Ysidro, Otay Mesa and Tecate, said Edward Cartagena, a Caltrans spokesman.

--VEGAS: Getting to Las Vegas will present the usual holiday weekend challenges, said Marie Montgomery, a spokeswoman for the Automobile Club of Southern California. "The standard time from the L.A. region is four to five hours, and on bad holiday weekends it can be double that," she said. She advised Vegas-bound motorists to delay setting out until Saturday or at least late tonight.

--BAY AREA: The heavily traveled San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge will be shut down from tonight to Tuesday morning for repairs, and traffic in the region is expected to suffer.

Slow run to the border

  Add this to your weekend traffic woes:

All vehicle and pedestrian traffic at San Ysidro’s border crossings may be blocked Friday during demonstrations in Mexico over that country’s pension laws, U.S. authorities said. U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Wednesday urged travelers to avoid the border crossings during the protests, citing Mexican news reports that traffic in both directions may be blocked for up to six hours at San Ysidro, the nation’s busiest border crossing, and at Otay Mesa. (AP)

More big rigs from Mexico?

Sounds like it's crunch time on the issue of allowing more Mexican cargo trucks to use U.S. highways:

The Bush administration urged a federal appeals court Thursday to let Mexican cargo trucks cross the border and freely travel anywhere in the country, arguing that to do otherwise could strain diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Mexico. The Teamsters Union on Wednesday asked the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to stop the program, which could go into effect as early as Saturday. The union argues that the administration plan, which would let as many as 100 registered Mexican trucks deliver their cargo anywhere in the country for the next year as part of a "demonstration program," would endanger public highways because safety issues have not been resolved. (AP)

Pacific Palisades gets no traffic-relief love

Remember those $6 million in traffic upgrades slated for the Westside? Well, Pacific Palisades has found out it's not getting any of that money. The Palisadian-Post reports that some are not happy about it:

Last week, the Los Angeles City Council approved a nearly $6-million package of left-turn arrows and traffic-signal upgrades that promises congestion relief at 361 intersections on the Westside. But despite local experiences of mind-numbing waits at jam-packed intersections, none in Pacific Palisades will benefit. Officials at the L.A. Department of Transportation (LADOT) blame the lack of change on the community's Specific Plan, part of the municipal code that regulates commercial development in the Palisades' four commercial zones. The Pacific Palisades Commercial Village and Neighborhoods Specific Plan does not collect fees to address the 'cumulative impact' of additional traffic created by new development, says Jay Kim, a senior transportation engineer at LADOT.

A tough holiday weekend

Planning a trip north out of L.A. for the long weekend? The 5 Freeway might not be the route to take, because of roadwork in the Castaic area. Of course, the 5 is the main route between Southern California and Northern California, so this will be interesting, the SGV Tribune says:

A single lane of the Golden State (5) Freeway just north of Castaic remains closed for ongoing work to stabilize a slope next to the freeway -- work that has caused lengthy delays during holiday weekend exoduses. "Friday and Monday are the worst days," Jeanne Bonfilio of the state Department of Transportation said Wednesday. "I think in the past year, people have been heeding our warnings and they do realize if they plan ahead and leave early, it pays off." The work is being done near Templin Highway, about 5 miles north of Castaic, and involves stabilizing a mountain that caused freeway damage in January 2005 when its soil saturated and slumped after heavy rain.

Here's the advisory from Caltrans.

UPDATED: And add this to the weekend traffic woes: "All vehicle and pedestrian traffic at the city’s border crossings may be blocked Friday during demonstrations in Mexico over that country’s pension laws, U.S. authorities said. U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Wednesday urged travelers to avoid the border crossings during the protests, citing Mexican news reports that traffic in both directions may be blocked for up to six hours at San Ysidro, the nation’s busiest border crossing, and at Otay Mesa. (AP)

Driver admits role in DUI case that killed director, son

The end of the line today for this tragic case of drunk driving and the death of a noted Hollywood producer-director and his son:

A 24-year-old man pleaded no contest Wednesday to two counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated in connection with the April fatal crash that killed a well-known film director and his son, the district attorney’s office announced. Hector Manuel Velazquez-Nava entered his plea before Airport Superior Court Judge Keith Schwartz, said Deputy District Attorney Belle Chen. Velazquez-Nava admitted driving a GMC Yukon that hit a 1997 Infiniti driven by film director Robert Clark, 67. Clark and his son, Ariel Hanrath-Clark, 22, were both killed. The accident occurred April 4 about 2:20 a.m. on PCH between Sunset Boulevard and Temescal Canyon Road. Velazquez-Nava had a blood alcohol content of .24 percent, three times the legal limit. (CNS)

L.A. reins in impounding

This is some good news for people who drive around L.A. without licenses (the question is whether it's bad news for people who actually have licenses). The Times' Richard Winton reports that the LAPD has imposed a moratorium on impounding the vehicles of unlicensed drivers amid concerns that the practice may be unconstitutional:

But many other agencies -- including the L.A. County Sheriff's Department and California Highway Patrol -- continue to impound cars of unlicensed drivers, with some counties concluding that the appeals court ruling does not apply to them. In a memo to all the LAPD's commanding officers, Assistant Chief Earl Paysinger directed that officers no longer impound vehicles in stops when the only offense was driving without a license. Drivers will continue to be cited for driving without a license. But the vehicle will be impounded only when it cannot be driven away by a licensed driver or parked legally and secured.

405 closures ahead

Speaking of the 405, heads up on some major overnight closures on the southbound 405 in the Westwood-Brentwood area Wednesday and Thursday. Here are the details from Caltrans.

Avoiding L.A. altogether

The Inland Daily Bulletin editorial board sees something very good in the increase in office construction in western San Bernardino County: Less commuting. Of course, the Inland Empire has always struggled with a home-job imbalance, though things might be improving for someone with this latest growth boom:

The explosion of Class A office space in Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga is good news in many ways, not just for those cities, but for the Inland Valley and San Bernardino County as a whole. It means more professional companies and higher-paying jobs are coming to the Inland Valley. As a result, better-educated workers will be enticed to move to the area, bringing with them more demand for local services, education, entertainment and shopping. And some of the better-educated, higher-paid workers who already live here will now, or soon, have the option of ditching that ugly commute to Los Angeles or Orange County and finding a suitable job right here at home.

But what about local traffic from all these new offices?

405 widening heats up

Caltrans is getting closer to a decision on the 405 widening plan through Bel Air. An option that calls for taking homes and other private properties is highly controversial, as a  Wednesday public hearing showed:

Hundreds of people packed into the Skirball Cultural Center with what seemed like hundreds of opinions as to how to ease congestion on the nation's busiest freeway.  "What you're going to do with this mobility is you're going to immobilize the traffic on Sunset Boulevard all the way back to Napoli and Amalfi Drives," said Brentwood resident John Keller.

KABC has a good video on the meeting.

Gruesome case in Perris

The Times' William Heisel reports this incident on the roads of Perris over the weekend:

A man who drove home with a body hanging out of the back of his car after a traffic accident is scheduled to be charged today with manslaughter. Tony Martinez, 55, of Perris is expected to be charged in Riverside County Superior Court with vehicular manslaughter, hit and run, and driving under the influence, all felonies, California Highway Patrol spokesman Ron Thatcher said. Martinez pulled out of a roadside market parking lot onto Highway 74 near Perris on Saturday night without noticing that Nicholas Justin Campbell, 20, of Moreno Valley was heading toward him on a motorcycle at about 80 miles per hour.

Serenade on the Red Line

You'll either find this a lovely sign of life in L.A. or another reason to leave. LAist posts a wonderful video of a man and his guitar on board the Red Line Subway:

This totally made my our last Thursday night. If it were only legal to busk on subways. Or at least in stations. Too bad it's not. He made some handsome pay in the 15 minutes we were with him and the guy "booing" offered to sell us drugs. Then there was the guy who busted out "only in LA" as he danced.

The video is here.

Silk Road: China's Route 66?

Is the Silk Road the new Route 66 for China? The WSJ gives the ancient, storied road a spin and gets into a traffic jam with some camels:

Since the rise of the U.S. interstate highway in the 1950s, the road trip has been an essential part of American life. As millions of people got behind the wheel, they reshaped the country in ways large and small -- leading to the birth of motel chains, fast-food restaurants, suburban sprawl and smog. Now, China is embarking on its own version of this transformation. More than 4.2 million passenger cars were sold in China last year. And the legions of new drivers are embracing the freedom of the open road to explore the breadth of their vast country.

Another freeway distraction?

As if there aren't enough distractions on the roads (remember the latest -- video billboards?), now they're talking about using the space on tanker trucks to advertise TV shows and other things:

The new strategy, called vehicle "wraps," displays ad messages on the sides of trucks and even personal automobiles. The tactic does traditional billboards one better -- it brings the message to the driver's level, in what is basically a captive environment -- especially during traffic jams. In Southern California, the Los Angeles Opera has contracted with an outdoor media firm, Media N Motion, to wrap tanker trucks with messages promoting the upcoming 2007-2008 season. The trucks ply specified routes along the L.A. freeways, and the fleet is deployed 16-20 hours a day, six to seven days a week, ensuring virtually constant visibility. The tanker truck wraps cost about one-quarter as much as a billboard campaign. A typical "premiere" billboard ad costs $4,000-$5,000 a month in Los Angeles, which puts Media N Motion's displays at $1,000 per month.

It's the refinery, stupid!

The latest drop in gas prices in Southern California (to $2.75 in L.A.) continues that summer trend. Mark Lacter at LABizObserved explains why:

Prices have been falling for much of the summer, largely because refineries stepped up production. Refinery production is a very big deal in determining how much we pay for gas –- actually more important than the price of oil. The betting is that prices won't fall a whole lot further, but that they won't jack up either. That's assuming there aren't any hurricanes or massive refinery outages.

Quieting the rails in O.C.

Will it be a little quieter in O.C.? The Times' David Reyes says maybe around rail tracks: Orange County transportation planners approved a $60 million plan for quieter railroad crossings -- hopefully eliminating ear-splitting train horns -- at crossings throughout the county on Monday. The plan calls for adding gates, traffic signal technology and other upgrades to 53 crossings, including 16 in the city of Orange.

'Superbus' stops at the Valley

The MTA's new "superbus" made its debut today -- and many called it the shape of things to come:

"This region is expected to grow about 30% in the next 25 years, so we simply have no choice but to build and provide more efficient, convenient, reliable alternatives to the single-passenger automobile, and this new 65-foot Metro liner does just that," said Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Metro will evaluate the bus’ performance, including its maneuverability, passenger capacity, passenger acceptance, and operating range, during its one-year demonstration period. (CNS) (More below)

Big bus coming...

Remember this? China's idea of a big bus:

L.A. isn't thinking that big. But a big new bus makes its debut Monday, part of a trend around the world, according to The Times' Rong-Gong Lin II:

Los Angeles commuters next week will be greeted with a bus so long, it's technically illegal. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is set to unveil a 65-foot-long bus -- longer than four Toyota Priuses parked end to end -- to debut on its Orange Line busway. It is five feet longer than the longest bus allowed by California law, so the MTA had to seek an exemption from Caltrans to operate the prototype.

Here it is:

Your car as billboard

This would be embarrassing, no? Driving around town in a car with a big corporate logo. Well, maybe not. Especially if you are driving for free. The NYT looks at this tried-and-true form of marketing:

Some companies pay millions to have their logos on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s race car, but others prefer to pay Brian Katz $500 or more a month for space on his Ford Expedition. Mr. Katz, 32, of Manhattan, is one of the tens of thousands of motorists who have signed up to have their cars and trucks wrapped in advertisements in exchange for a stipend up to $800 a month. These offers are becoming so popular that car owners have been willing to limit where they shop and abide by a code of conduct while they are behind the wheel. Even with the restrictions, a free car or a hefty subsidy is attractive to motorists like Mr. Katz.

Traffic ruined my summer vacation

Jim Boren's summer vacation usually involves road trips along California's highways to destinations like Santa Cruz and Disneyland. But increasingly, he writes, traffic congesting is taking the fun out of those vacations. He has some ideas, including more freeways, wider ones, toll roads and better road repairs:

My idea of a vacation is to head to the coast, park the car for a week and walk to the beach. I suppose it says a lot when I get great pleasure in not worrying about gassing up the car, where to park or whether I'll have to leave someplace early to beat the traffic home. Our tradition is to spend the first week in August on the Capitola beach near Santa Cruz, Calif. It was a relaxing time, but our paradise is becoming spoiled by the ever-increasing traffic. Driving the Central Coast is not much different than driving through Los Angeles to Disneyland.