It may not be Carmagedden, but this weekend seems poised to be a not-so-distant relative — Slowmagedden.
That’s right: Get ready to go slow amid a weekend full of major events in the L.A. area.
It would have been snarled enough on local streets and highways this weekend if it was just the L.A. Auto Show, the Lakers, the Clippers, the Rams, the opening weekend of ice skating at Pershing Square, UCLA vs. USC at the Coliseum — not to mention a getaway weekend prior to Thanksgiving.
But then came the massive 10 Freeway fire on Saturday, Nov. 11. That shut the freeway down on all lanes in both directions across a one-mile stretch in the heart of L.A., forcing thousands of commuters off track and stressing key freeway detour points.
Yup. An already busy weekend just got a lot more complex.
Despite the round-the-clock repairs between Alameda Street and the East L.A. interchange, the ongoing closure along that stretch will surely will test the patience and preparation of drivers and commuters on an epic entertainment weekend.
Bob Pishue, a transportation analyst at INRIX, which uses data to track traffic mobility patterns, pointed to Downtown L.A. detour points as congestion hot spots to look out for this weekend, if you’re on four wheels.
“The detour routes. Those are heavily congested,” he said.
“Outside of that, the further you go from the center, there’s less impact,” Pishue added with some relief. “Not totally egregious.”
But don’t rest on your laurels, commuters.
If you’re heading to downtown from the north or the east to the Coliseum on Saturday, for example, you’re likely to encounter serious congestion Pishue said. If you’re coming from the west or the south, you should have an easier time.
“If you have to pass through detour routes at all,” Pishue said, “you’re seeing congestion.”
You could definitely see it in the days heading up to this weekend.
The northbound 101 Freeway detour route from the 10 saw a 74% increase in travel time from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. compared to the two weeks leading up to the closure, Pishue’s analysis found. The 110 northbound detour saw a 44% increase in travel time in that same window.
In anticipation of this weekend, L.A Metro — which has already seen a 10% bump in ridership this week — has been urging folks to take alternate forms of transit. And L.A. Mayor Karen Bass – who also chairs the Metro Board — pushed forward a motion that includes expanding public transit service and promoting ridership.
“It is such a major artery. It is the heart of Los Angeles,” Metro Board member and Whittier City Councilmember Fernando Dutra said at the Metro Executive Committee Meeting on Thursday, Nov. 16. “Everywhere I’ve gone this week has been an additional half hour or hour.”
L.A. commuters, of course, are not exactly clamoring for public transit.
Regular public transit ridership is still down about 36% compared to pre-pandemic levels, Pishue said, referring to an INRIX analysis. But leaders, including Bass, say that this may be a moment to hop on. And this weekend may even be more of a moment.
So, in that spirit, here’s a guide to getting to some of the big events this weekend — if you’re open to traveling without a car.
UCLA v. USC football, 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Los Angeles Coliseum
It’s a tradition.
Southern California’s top college football teams will once again go at it this weekend in the Coliseum, which, by the way, is just south of the closed 10 Freeway.
Sure, driving there is a possibility. But remember, many people who usually take the 5 Freeway to the 10 to get to jobs at USC were directly affected by the closure. The Coliseum is a block south of USC. So prepare for any related detours and delays if you’re driving.
But there is a public transit option here, too. To ride to this Saturday’s UCLA-USC football game, take the E Line train to either Expo Park/USC or Expo/Vermont Stations — and from there, it’s a short stroll to the stadium. You can also take the J Line to 37th St/USC Station — about a 10-minute walk to the Coliseum.
Los Angeles Auto Show, Nov. 17-26, at L.A. Convention Center
In a cruel bit of irony for car lovers, one of the premier global exhibitions of four-wheeled beauties will take place just blocks from the shutdown.
Whether you’re looking for the latest crossover SUV you’ve been aspiring to buy or wanting to test drive a Tesla, the L.A. Auto Show in itself is a tradition, with its more than 1,000 vehicles inside 1 million square feet at the L.A. Convention Center.
But this year, organizers have put up a caution flag on the road to the weekend-long car mecca:
“Anticipate potential delays due to the I-10 closure and plan your journey accordingly,” an update on the L.A. Auto Show website. says. “If you’re coming to the Auto Show on four wheels, give yourself some extra time to navigate closed streets and increased traffic. Remember, we repeat: the I-10 Freeway between the East L.A. interchange and Alameda Street is closed in both directions, like literally a few blocks from the Convention Center.”
Convention Center officials are urging folks to take Metro, but for those who must drive, go to the facility’s website — lacclink.com — to find directions.
To take public transportation, get on at the Metro Pico Station, which serves both the A and E lines: downtownla.com/go/metro-pico-station. You can also go to thesource.metro.net.
The Great Los Angeles Walk, 9 a.m. Saturday, starts at Griffith Park
You gotta love L.A. On one end, you’ve got an event devoted to driving in the region that practically invented mass car culture. And on the other, an event devoted to walking.
The Great Los Angeles Walk — the 18th edition of its kind, founded and organized by L.A. journalist and blogger Michael Schneider — kicks off at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Bear statue at Griffith Park, 5413 Los Feliz Blvd., and proceeds on a 15-mile sidewalk journey that passes through Hollywood Heights, West Hollywood, the Fairfax District, La Brea, Mid-Wilshire, Koreatown and back to Griffith Park. Along the way, of course, is a cornucopia of L.A. sites and sounds — from Canters Deli to LACMA to the Petersen Auto Museum to El Cholo.
“It’s a chance to feel like feel like you’re part of L.A.,” Schneider said of the free event. “This is a living, breathing city. Take your time.”
Schneider isn’t expecting the throngs that will show up at the Coliseum or the Auto Show. It’ll be more like 300 to 500. But he definitely recommends using public transportation to get there.
Luckily, you’re not downtown for this event, so you won’t encounter freeway closure traffic. But one public transit option is to take the Red Line at Sunset/Vermont Metro Station and connect to the Dash Observatory shuttle stop. Information: laparks.org/griffithpark/planyourtrip. Note: It’s rain or shine. Bring an umbrella just in case.
L.A. Rams vs. Seattle Seahawks, 1:25 p.m. Sunday at SoFi Stadium
Let’s face it: This season for the Rams has been, ahem, a work in progress.
It’s a far cry from the 2021-22 Super Bowl run, when the Rams — freshly back in L.A. from their time in St. Louis — won the hearts of a city. But this weekend, the third-place Rams will still be a draw. Even at 3-6, they remain in the playoff hunt against the Seahawks, who are second in the NFC West division they share.
So a word to the wise: The tailgaters will be in full swing and the SoFi lots will be full of Rams love emanating from the portable barbecue pits. But as Taylor Swift taught us when she recently played multiple nights at the giant SoFi, drawing 4 quadrillion fans — OK, maybe not that many — you don’t have to drive your own car to SoFi.
Indeed, as SoFi’s own website proclaims, “parking is extremely limited.” In fact, if you don’t have a fairly pricey parking pass, you’ll have to consider the alternatives.
One of those is Inglewood’s Park and Ride program. To book your parking and shuttle trip now, visit InglewoodParkGo.com.
Here are some public transportation options:
Lakers, Clippers at Crypto
The Clippers’ next game is 7:30 p.m. Friday at Crypto. And the Lakers play at 7 p.m. Sunday at Crypto.
To reach Crypto.com for Clippers, Kings and Lakers games and L.A. Live, get on the A or E lines to Pico Station — it’s a one-block walk to the arena and L.A. Live.