'Carmageddon' fear over weekend closure of LA arterial route

IT'S normally bumper to bumper. But yesterday one of America's busiest freeways turned into a ghost road after a ten-mile stretch of California's Interstate 405 shut down in an event dubbed "Carmageddon".

The entire motorway closed early yesterday, setting the stage for a 53-hour construction project that will test whether Los Angeles, one of the world's most car-dependent cities, can change its transport habits for a weekend.

For weeks, authorities have urged residents to avoid getting in their cars, lest they trigger what has been billed as "Carmageddon", with the city's streets and other roads being so clogged up with traffic as to bring LA to a standstill.

Yet while police, fire and ambulance crews were on standby yesterday, cars flowed along the freeway network as residents heeded warnings to stay off local roads to prevent a gridlock disaster.

With warnings having been broadcast through television, radio, social media and flashing roadside signs as far away as San Francisco, much of the city's nearly four million residents stayed off the affected routes.

"Carmageddon? More like carmaheaven. No traffic in LA," tweeted Chip Dorsh, who said he had sailed through one canyon road.

Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said he thought traffic would move smoothly if motorists heeded advice and stayed close to home throughout the weekend.

"We can either say we survived Carmageddon or we survived the Carmageddon hype," he said.

On a typical July weekend, about half a million vehicles use that section to reach such major destinations as Los Angeles International Airport, UCLA, Beverly Hills and numerous beaches.

To discourage driving, the city is offering free trips on the subway and buses and adding more train services. Hotels and restaurants are offering discounts.

Some people planned to take discounted helicopter trips over the empty stretch of the 405. Others have $4-$5 tickets to board special JetBlue flights between Long Beach Airport and Bob Hope Airport in the coastal city of Burbank.

The airline, reacting to the buzz about "Carmageddon", was calling the 20 to 30-minute flights a "planepool" between the San Fernando Valley and the coastal city.

Tickets sold out within three hours.

The flights inspired a group of cyclists to challenge JetBlue to a race.

Members of the Wolfpack Hustle planned to pedal on a roughly 40-mile route starting near the Burbank airport to see whether they or a JetBlue passenger would reach Long Beach first.

Cycling advocates said they hoped to show that gridlock can be avoided without using a car or plane.

"Everyone's freaking out about car traffic around the 405. Bicycling represents a very viable alternative," said cyclist Gary Kavanagh.