New Street Closures Hope to Ease Traffic
Rain and traffic were on the agenda when President Barack Obama landed in Los Angeles on Wednesday afternoon. In his ninth trip to Los Angeles since his election, President Obama scheduled a relatively routine visit.
He landed at Los Angeles International Airport, took a helicopter to the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in West Los Angeles, and began fundraising at a home in Holmby Hills, just east of UCLA.
In recent visits, President Obama’s impact on L.A. traffic patterns has decreased, however, the addition of rain in the forecast tested rush hour traffic.
The Obama Administration as well as the City of Los Angeles tried to alleviate the burden the visit would have on rush hour drivers by planning soft-closures.
These soft-closures take place in Washington D.C. The Secret Service plans for certain streets to be closed for short periods of time while the President’s motorcade rolls by. After the President has passed, the street reopens immediately. The system is routine and very effective in Washington D.C.
Councilman Bill Rosendahl of West L.A. said that by planning President Obama’s visit more carefully, he is able to keep people from sitting in more traffic.
“The soft-closure strategy and direct route minimized the congestion,” Rosendahl said. “You can’t eliminate the congestion. There’s congestion every afternoon.”
Many residents and workers planned ahead for President Obama’s visit.
“We’re always affected by serious traffic issues but of course it gets worse when Obama’s in town,” resident Missy Phillips said. “I've seen when [Los Angeles] didn't do it correctly and when they have given everyone enough prep to leave work early and take the necessary precautions so that it wasn't a big issued and it wasn’t gridlocked.”
Custom Cabinet Manufacturer Bruce Cleveland is always affected by President Obama’s presence in L.A.
“It costs me money every time he’s in town because my guys cant get to their jobs or I spend extra hours driving everyday,” he said.
Rosendahl understands the frustration that President Obama’s visit causes around t.
“I called him after the last time and told him ‘you cant do that again. You may have raised a million bucks, but you lost a million votes,'" Rosendahl said.
