Los Angeles Traffic Advice

[101stpathfinder]

I will be southbound on I-5 on a ride that I cannot bypass I-5 at all. The starting time that I am considering has me hitting LA at 8 pm on a Thursday. I am not real experienced at lane splitting. Can someone give me some advice on traffic congestion times and  duration of delays…

Thanks, Tony

 

[Bugnatr]

I don't live anywhere near LA (on purpose) but it's much like most large cities as it's all a crap shoot on how many traffic problems there are when you are there. I suspect the later in the evening the better, a phone app such as waze would be helpful if you can.

As far as lane splitting goes, it's not that hard as drivers in SoCal are used to the bikes doing it. Best is to fall in behind a Hardley Ableson with loud pipes. Yes loud pipes really work for lane splitting. Have a good ride Tony.

 

[MikeM]

8:00PM on a Thursday will probably be ok. Just a few trouble spots and you likely wont have to do much splitting. There will be folks to follow. Just watch your mirrors and let a rider pass and fall in behind them a bit. Worst case you just stay in your lane and take your time. Nobody is going to judge you for being careful.

 

[101stpathfinder]

Worst case you just stay in your lane and take your time. Nobody is going to judge you for being careful.

Unfortunately the IBA gives a rider 22 hrs to traverse the entire I-5 from Blaine, WA to San Ysidro, CA for the “Gold” version.

 

[Bugnatr]

Unfortunately the IBA gives a rider 22 hrs to traverse the entire I-5 from Blaine, WA to San Ysidro, CA for the “Gold” version.

FYI

Can you ride it on a Saturday?   Reason being is we recently Drove I 5 from Red Bluff to above Roseburg on a Saturday. Construction was halted for the weekend and traffic was not too bad and not many trucks. Drove back home on a Tuesday and it SUCKED!  Construction had two major slowdowns (one lane) and lots of truck traffic too.  I-5 added an hour to our normal 8 hour drive from home to our friends on the Oregon coast.

Be ready for smoke in places from the fires out west but I suspect by the time you get to Blaine you will be used to it. 

 

[101stpathfinder]

FYI

Can you ride it on a Saturday?   Reason being is we recently Drove I 5 from Red Bluff to above Roseburg on a Saturday. Construction was halted for the weekend and traffic was not too bad and not many trucks. Drove back home on a Tuesday and it SUCKED!  Construction had two major slowdowns (one lane) and lots of truck traffic too.  I-5 added an hour to our normal 8 hour drive from home to our friends on the Oregon coast.

Be ready for smoke in places from the fires out west but I suspect by the time you get to Blaine you will be used to it. 

Yes, I have been told a Sat/Sun ride would be much better and I confirmed that by checking the daily driving times. 2 hours faster on the weekend. The trouble is that I am riding 5 interstates consecutively and I’m the context of a 10/10ths… So I may just have to settle for the non gold version for I-5.

  Are the construction zones set up at night also?  Right now I am leaning to departing Blaine at 2 am and trying to clear Seattle and Portland before morning rush and hit Sacramento on the front side of an evening rush. LA arrival would be 8.

I am open to any solutions…

I have I-95/I-90/I-5/I-10 and the I-80, the NAFO, I-70 will be last.

 

[Tyler]

I-70 will be last.

I-70 is closed at Glenwood Springs atm due to landslides. 

Interstate 70 through Glenwood Canyon will remain closed for the foreseeable future after Colorado Department of Transportation employees surveyed damage from recent mud and rock slides and found damage “unlike anything they had seen before."

 

[101stpathfinder]

I-70 is closed at Glenwood Springs atm due to landslides. 

Interstate 70 through Glenwood Canyon will remain closed for the foreseeable future after Colorado Department of Transportation employees surveyed damage from recent mud and rock slides and found damage “unlike anything they had seen before."

Hmm Tyler (You bringer of bad news) Thank you for the info, as that would have been a bad surprise.  How does this affect NAFO?  (Been searching threads) The most I could find on a site is an August 6 reopening(?)

I will keep searching….

 

[lee stroke]

In La they do the road construction at night. Just to make it more fun. Also all night construction sites have a highway patrol car sitting there. If it work for you might want to cut over to I 15 going south and then back to I 5 down in San Diego. 

 

[DiggerDr.]

FYI, I-70 is also closed in downtown Indianapolis. The official detour is I-465 around the south side. Maybe 5-10 minutes longer if that is permissible.

 

[escapefjrtist]

In La they do the road construction at night. Just to make it more fun. Also all night construction sites have a highway patrol car sitting there. If it work for you might want to cut over to I 15 going south and then back to I 5 down in San Diego. 

FYI, I-70 is also closed in downtown Indianapolis. The official detour is I-465 around the south side. Maybe 5-10 minutes longer if that is permissible.

On the IBA rides 'pathfinder is completing, the rules require him to stay on the specific interstate for that ride. No detours. Sounds like there might be more planning needed in a couple trouble spots.

~G

 

[McRide]

Tony, Remember that I-5 has dedicated HOV lanes almost the entirety of LA, north to south and vis-versa... HOV on far right or left, for cars with multiple passengers, electric cars and Motobikes. No decal required. They are typically almost empty and rarley backup. The Caltrans website will provide maps showing daily/nightly Freeway Projects you can be prepared for. Gas up in Santa Clarita, just before LA and you'll be thru in 1h 15m to the 5/73 split. after that, it opens up considerably. Good Luck!

 

[Tyler]

Hmm Tyler (You bringer of bad news) Thank you for the info, as that would have been a bad surprise.  How does this affect NAFO?  (Been searching threads) The most I could find on a site is an August 6 reopening(?)

I will keep searching….

So I'm now the bringer of good news. Apparently, good weather's allowed them to make great progress... road re-opens on Saturday! 

https://www.9news.com/article/traffic/glenwood-canyon-reopens/73-f3a26bb1-ccf5-4c58-8b2a-2b8363847985