Carmageddon sequel gets positive spin from city officials August 3, 2012

Started by mapman1071, August 09, 2012, 01:52:16 PM

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mapman1071

Carmageddon sequel gets positive spin from city officials
August 3, 2012

Focusing on apocalyptic traffic warnings for next month's 405 Freeway closure is not the best way to keep drivers off the road, L.A. city and county officials said Thursday. Instead, they stressed the joys of a carless weekend. 

"We can't do what we did last time," said Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. "So this time around, we're not going to say, 'Folks, look, we're going to have the worst traffic ever.' We all know that's possible. What we're going to say is, 'What about another day without a car in L.A.? What about Angelenos accepting the challenge to stay out of their car?' "

"Carmageddon" was the popular term for the 10-mile closure of the 405 through the Sepulveda Pass for a weekend last year as construction crews demolished the south side of the Mulholland Drive bridge that spans the freeway. The work is part of a $1-billion project that includes adding a northbound carpool lane on the 405.

This fall's sequel returns Sept. 29 and 30 when the same section -- between the 10 and the 101 freeways -- will be fully closed for 53 hours so crews can demolish the other half of the bridge.

Workers will begin closing freeway ramps along the route about 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 28. They will start closing traffic lanes at 10 p.m. so that the entire section will be shut down by midnight. The closure is scheduled to end by 5 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 1, with ramps and connectors opening an hour later.

Last year, crews were able to finish the work quickly and the freeway opened 17 hours early. But that probably won't happen this time, officials said, because there's more work to do and because the extended closure will be used as an opportunity to take on other jobs.

While officials were thrilled with how smoothly last year's closure went, they worry that motorists will think they can take to the roads this time without any major issues.

"Even though we had an uneventful Carmageddon back in July of 2011, the only reason we had that is because the public stayed off the roads, not only the 405 and the roads leading to it, but throughout the region," said Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky.

"Stay home, stay in the neighborhood, stay off the freeways. Whatever ... you do, don't come near the 405 corridor," Yaroslavsky said.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/08/city-officials-give-carmageddon-sequel-positive-spin.html


Quillz

It wasn't an issue last time and I don't think it will be an issue this time.

Road Hog

Shouldn't be, but the only worry is that motorists get complacent after Carmageddon I went so smoothly and think it'll be OK to drive.

cpzilliacus

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cpzilliacus

For those on Facebook, KNX-1070 just updated the cover photo on their page to an amusing Photoshopped image of what Carmageddon II might look like.   
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

cpzilliacus

N.Y. Times: New Fears in Los Angeles as Highway Closes Again

QuoteLOS ANGELES – One year ago, a 10-mile stretch of Interstate 405 – the most heavily traveled highway in the nation, and the not-so-proud symbol of the Los Angeles traffic jam – was shut down for most of a weekend. The city went on full alert. Emergency workers were mobilized, contingency plans were made and motorists were warned – in the most dire terms – to stay off the road for what was called Carmageddon.

QuoteIn a week, it will happen again in what is the next phase in widening the highway as it cuts through the narrow Sepulveda mountain pass that connects west Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley. Yet this time, you would hardly know it.
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

cpzilliacus

KNX-1070 NEWSRADIO: "˜Carmageddon 2' Contractors To Pay Hefty Penalty If Work Goes Over Schedule

QuoteSEPULVEDA PASS (CBSLA.com) – Contractors working on this weekend's 405 freeway closure, dubbed "Carmageddon II" , will be fined a generous fee if the job goes over the allotted schedule.

QuoteMetro reports 30 percent more work needs to be done on the north side of the Mulholland bridge to complete the demolition job compared to last year's work on the south side.

Quote"Last year, we only removed one set of columns, so that means the contractor has to go in there and remove four columns, two on each side of the 405, in order to do the final demolition of the bridge,"  said Metro spokesman, Dave Sotero.
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cpzilliacus

KNX-1070 NEWSRADIO: Drivers Beware: "˜Carmageddon II' Begins Friday At 7 P.M.

Quote"Carmageddon II,"  the scheduled shut down of 10 miles of the 405 Freeway, will begin Friday night.

QuoteClosures of on-and off-ramps in the Sepulveda Pass will begin around 7 p.m., with full closure of the 405 by midnight, Metro officials said.

QuoteThe northbound 405, between the 10 and the 101 freeways, will be completely shut down while the southbound side will be closed from Burbank Boulevard north of the 101 down to the Getty Center Drive on-ramp.
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myosh_tino

There are freeway VMSes as far north as Sacramento warning drivers of delays on the L.A. freeway system this weekend.  In the S.F. Bay Area, VMSes on routes 85, 101, 880, 280, 580, 205, and 238 are displaying the same warning message.
Quote from: golden eagle
If I owned a dam and decided to donate it to charity, would I be giving a dam? I'm sure that might be a first because no one really gives a dam.

agentsteel53

interestingly, I haven't seen one yet down in the San Diego area, but I have not driven under a VMS on the northbound routes out of town (5, 15, 805).
live from sunny San Diego.

http://shields.aaroads.com

jake@aaroads.com

myosh_tino

Quote from: agentsteel53 on September 28, 2012, 12:01:48 PM
interestingly, I haven't seen one yet down in the San Diego area, but I have not driven under a VMS on the northbound routes out of town (5, 15, 805).
Checking Caltrans' Quickmap page, it looks like the first VMS warning messages appear on I-405 near Fountain Valley.  There are no VMS messages warning of the 405 closure in the San Diego area (or even southern Orange County).

Agent, do you know if local TV, radio and newspapers have been talking about Carmageddon II down there in San Diego?  There's been little to no talk of it up here in the S.F. Bay Area which might be why Caltrans is using the VMSes to "get the word out".
Quote from: golden eagle
If I owned a dam and decided to donate it to charity, would I be giving a dam? I'm sure that might be a first because no one really gives a dam.

agentsteel53

Quote from: myosh_tino on September 28, 2012, 12:41:33 PM

Agent, do you know if local TV, radio and newspapers have been talking about Carmageddon II down there in San Diego?  There's been little to no talk of it up here in the S.F. Bay Area which might be why Caltrans is using the VMSes to "get the word out".

I don't know tv/radio, but online sources have not mentioned anything at all.

my coworkers (none of whom are particularly into roads) all know about it.
live from sunny San Diego.

http://shields.aaroads.com

jake@aaroads.com

andy3175

Nothing about the I-405 closure on the VMS coming north on I-5 out of downtown San Diego through Old Town today ... just standard travel times for SR 56 and SR 78.

Regards,
Andy
Regards,
Andy

www.aaroads.com

cpzilliacus

Quote from: agentsteel53 on September 28, 2012, 12:46:49 PM
Quote from: myosh_tino on September 28, 2012, 12:41:33 PM

Agent, do you know if local TV, radio and newspapers have been talking about Carmageddon II down there in San Diego?  There's been little to no talk of it up here in the S.F. Bay Area which might be why Caltrans is using the VMSes to "get the word out".

I don't know tv/radio, but online sources have not mentioned anything at all.

my coworkers (none of whom are particularly into roads) all know about it.


Heck, "Carmageddon II" even got a mention on WTOP Radio in Washington, D.C. last night. 

That is far away.
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

cpzilliacus

Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

cpzilliacus

Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

SignBridge

It even made the 6PM news in New York very briefly. The girl could hardly pronounce "Sepulveda". LOL

cpzilliacus

Quote from: SignBridge on September 29, 2012, 10:06:26 PM
It even made the 6PM news in New York very briefly. The girl could hardly pronounce "Sepulveda". LOL

Wonder what she would have done with La Cienega Boulevard?
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

cpzilliacus

Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

cpzilliacus

Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

cpzilliacus

Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

cpzilliacus

Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

hm insulators

Quote from: cpzilliacus on September 30, 2012, 09:19:52 AM
Quote from: SignBridge on September 29, 2012, 10:06:26 PM
It even made the 6PM news in New York very briefly. The girl could hardly pronounce "Sepulveda". LOL

Wonder what she would have done with La Cienega Boulevard?

Or Tujunga or any of the south Orange County communities with "Viejo" in the names, such as Mission Viejo. :-D
Remember: If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.

I'd rather be a child of the road than a son of a ditch.


At what age do you tell a highway that it's been adopted?

Scott5114

I would just try to wing it and use something approximating the Spanish pronunciation for all of those, hoping the Californians haven't invented their own idiosyncratic pronunciation!
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef




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