Is the 101 the nation's worst freeway? Let the debate begin

The notorious Hollywood Freeway is so congested that the Daily Beast recently ranked the 101, during rush hour, as the worst metropolitan-area freeway in the nation.

There are several Southern California freeways that commuters claim are the most congested – and experts say determining which is the worst depends a lot on how one asks the question.

The 405 through the Westside is a perennial champion, as is a section of 91 Freeway between Riverside and Orange counties.

Then there is the dreaded 10 each morning into the Westside. Transportation officials have discussed making major improvements to some of the Hollywood Freeway’s interchanges and bottlenecks – particularly around downtown L.A. at the 101-110 interchange – but those are years away.

Even the mayor’s deputy of transportation, Jaime de la Vega, talked about the ills of the 101 during a casual conversation last week – Vega said he carpooled with his wife to work on that freeway each day, but his commute was hampered because there were no carpool lanes.

Is the 101 really the worst? Or do you have a different candidate? Tell us what you think in the comments below.

-- Ari B. Bloomekatz

Photo: Rush hour traffic on the 101 in Encino. Credit: Al Seib / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Brent]

I think it's safe to say that much of Greater Los Angeles is just one massive traffic jam, come rush hour, but yes, the 101 thru Hollywood is often congested during the entire working day.

Other contenders around the country would probably include the Dan Ryan Expwy in Chicago, I-80 from San Francisco to Berkeley, I-5 in Central Seattle and WA 520 between Seattle and the Eastside, I-5 in North Portland, US 290 in Houston (never-ending congestion, all day long), I-93 thru South Boston, and parts of the Capital Beltway (I-495) around D.C. While outside of the U.S., Ontario Route 401 and the Don Valley Pkwy in Toronto can easily be contenders for worst congested freeways in North America (the 401, in particular, is the world's busiest freeway, with up to 505,000 vehicles per day, just east of Ontario Route 410).

[Robert Tolchin]

Has anyone ever driven I-5 in Seattle during the rain? Echhh.

[Jason S.]

I've always thought the 101 was worse than the 405. Glad it's finally getting the derision it deserves.

[hector]

i vote to forget about cars. forget buses and trains. we all need the people tubes from futurama.

[Hoot]

I drive daily (morning and evening) on both the 405 and 101 and while both are extremely bad, I have to give the edge to the 101.

The horror.

[Cesar]

The 101 Freeway is the worst! Both going North and South always gets jam packed. It's been like that at least for the last 15 to 20 years.

[Josh]

The 101 between Hollywood and Downtown is pretty vile, but it's the section out by the 405 that really is a horror show. The 10 might be a bit worse, by equaling the traffic of the 101 and adding a heaping dose of ugly to the mix. But the reigning champion is still the 405 which is simply a 24-7 traffic disaster.

NYC has trains coming out its ears, so as bad as the CBE gets (which is arguably the worst traffic in America), nobody in their right mind actually goes and sits on that absurd stretch of highway.

[Rob]

405 Southbound starting from Burbank Blvd all the way to the 105 and beyond is the worst ever. 2nd worst is 405 Northbound all the way to the 118 connector. Trucks and the uphill near the Getty are the main reasons why everyone is so slow plus it's the only way to get Culver City which is like one of the busiest district.

[Sudhir]

Two words: HENRY WAXMAN. This guy is the biggest reason our transit system is so bad. This Congressman from LA's Westside single-handedly put LA's subway system behind 20 years by blocking all federal funding for subway construction. He did this in 1985 (!!) yet in 2010, is still elected to Congress by the clueless Westsiders he represents. Thanks to him, the Red Line ends like a little weak stub at Wilshire and Western, instead of continuing all the way to Santa Monica. Now we have people like LA mayor Villaraigosa promoting the idea of the 'subway-to-the-sea'. No doubt construction costs have steeply increased in the last 25 years. Just think, if construction of the Red Line had continued impeded back in 1985, we would have a true urban rail system.

[Jaime]

All very good comments below especially the one about the red cars. Can you imagine a huge metropolis as spread out as LA and its surrounding cities and counties, with a great mass transit. Now that would be a great place to live. Maybe in our lifetime, probably not. All the different counties in this basin need to come together and start working on a master plan. LA wants to build mass transit, OC, Riverside, and SB want to build freeways, are you kidding. Has anyone driven the 5 close to the OC border where it goes to 3 lanes. Take a look at sigalert.com and all the interchanges are almost always red or slow. What a joke of a transportation system. Is there anyone that can help us?

[Jason]

Definitely the 91 across the Orange/Riverside County line.

[David in Los Angeles]

The worst freeway has to be the Beverly Hills Frwy, followed by the Whittier Frwy and the 710 extension through South Pasadena. These (and more) were all planned 50 years ago, but never built.

I've actually taken the bus to work. Sorry, but public transportation isn't a realistic option (for me) until it's quicker than driving. Subway to the Sea? Sounds great. Hand me a shovel and show me where to start digging.

By the way, the Red Cars of yesterday started declining in passenger service in the 1920's when Angelenos (along with the rest of the United States) began their love affair with the automobile.

[hapa]

Is the 101 really the worst? Or do you have a different candidate?

To all the people that actually replied with an actual answer - can't you tell that this is a rhetorical question...All SoCal freeways are bad, drivers just as bad.

Instead of spending money on HSR/expanding lanes, CalTrans should just put up huge electronic billboards and run cable and news, etc. so everyone can watch TV on their drive home and we can all continue to get spammed with more junk advertisements. B'cos let's face it, it's not as if people are actually moving on the Frwy and if they are, it's not as if people are actually paying attn to where they're driving...

I know I'd love an electronic billboard as opposed to all of those boring static billboards that are everywhere....I'd love to see more so-called "news" and commericals, wouldn't you? Isn't that what America is about?

[MikeOHara]

Worst (most congested) freeway in North America (500,000 trips per weekday) is supposed to be the 401 through Toronto. Too few lanes and too much traffic.

[Jennifer]

the intersection of the 405 and the 10 is what I call the VORTEX, it's to be avoided at ALL COSTS! The good news for the Hollywood fwy. if there is any is you can get off and take streets like Temple 3rd or 6th streets into Downtown. On the Westside nothing moves including Pico, Olympic, Wilshire and SM blvds...there is NO escape. We need rail lines along all of the old red car routes and shame on us for not doing it sooner!

[rusoviet]

No it is not - the 405 is the worse and the reason is from Ventura Blvd. to the El Toro 'Y' it is the sole means of driving from the west side-south bay Long Beach - to Orange County.

The 405, unlike the 101, is directly hammered by:

1. UCLA
2. Westwood
3. Santa Monica Freeway
4. Marina and Marina Freeway
5. 105
6. LAX

Those 'in bounds' to the freeway 405 are not equaled by 'outbounds' nor is there more than one parallel route to alleviate traffic (Sepulveda).

The 101 has Chandler, Burbank Blvd., Ventura Blvd., Oxnard - there are numerous alternatives from Topanga Blvd. to Lankershim

[Earth Advocate]

Caltrans could just get to work on it, with real engineering, so we wouldn't have to complain for all of eternity.
405N to 134E, two lanes become ONE in the middle of the transition? And this after three years of "improvements"?
No 101S to 134W transition, having to snake off of Western?
No 134W to 101S transition, clogging Cahuenga or Lankershim to do so?
No 101/170N to 134E, and have to do the Vineland shuffle?
Any other non-existent transitions that would improve traffic throughout the region? Plenty, but that evidently isn't the goal. Aren't there any books on how and where to build an interchange between freeways?

And, on the subject of carpool lanes, FastTrack wasn't big govt., as some claim, but a private venture, including a contractual prohibition for the state to improve or widen that stretch of the 91 to squeeze customers onto it- and the private venture still went belly up.

Please, Expo Line all the way to 4th & Colorado (Sears Auto repair Center location)!! If only to serve tens of thousands along the Olympic business corridor in Santa Monica, and at least a dozen top destinations into downtown. Not to mention relief from at least some of the beach bound inlanders every summer weekend.

Subway to the Sea? When Expo Line Right of Way already exists? Who's pockets are getting lined on that one? More like Boondoggle to the Bay.

Maybe Caltrans and other agencies could start an online suggestion box- and draw from the real world experience of locals who'd be a valuable asset for doing it right for once.

[batray]

The 405 through the pass and South to LAX is consistently the worst stretch of Freeway in LA.

[Diego Paz]

I would be curious too know which freeway is the most dangerous, in the LA
and surrounding areas. If I had to guess I would have to say it's the 710. We're all driving go-carts on that stretch. Very short on ramps, horrific road conditions (ie
prone to floods, constant lane closures) and how can I forget: Playing dodge-ball
with semis 7 days a week. Love that stretch.

[Taksin S]

The 101 is bad, but the 405 is much, much, let me spell it out for you Ari, M-U-C-H WORST. The 405 Southbound in the morning and vice versa in the evening, can take 1 1/2 hour or more to go a distance of about 17-20 miles. That's averaging 11-13 MPH! Add the sun, the wind or the ... (add your choices of the natural phenomenon here), plus the "extremely safe drivers" who have to leave a 10-second cushion between the cars in the front and add the amnestic drivers who drove the same freeway every working day but is completely enchanted to see a stalled car on the side of the road that s/he is compelled to slow to a crawl to observed this unusual event, and you have the 405 freeway. But don't take my word for it, the 405 parking lot is waiting for you to experience Ari.

[Mark]

If I need to go to Burbank or Glendale from the West Valley, I avoid the 101 and take the 118 . But I agree with those stating that the 405 is much worse. I hate that freeway.

[allaire8]

It's pretty bad, but probably not the worst. With our huge deficit I hope people aren't expecting new roads too soon. With our ability to move around we probably create more traffic than we should. Unfortunately, we’ve run out of area to add much more to the 101 or 405 freeways. If we can’t pass more through we may have to reduce and control the flow. What options do we have there? Live closer to work?

[tarwater]

Any freeway in the United States is the nation's worst freeway. The automobile and the infrastructure to support the automobile amount to pillage of resources for the future. The brilliance of the human mind has nothing to do with automobiles.

[356man]

Shut up and move to Alabama.

[thomas]

Tough Call..but I do call The 405 "THE BEAST"...but the 57...whoa...the 101..sometimes I have to go from Glendale to Woodlawn Hills..right around rush hour...:-(