Avoiding LA traffic?
 

My son is driving from SF to USC on Friday, and unfortunately, will be arriving in LA around rush hour. Would it be better to go on 405 to 10 or stay on Hwy 5 and go down the Harbor Fwy? Are there carpool lanes on those freeways? Thank you.

There's no telling which would be best since a stalled car, wreck or one of the weekly (it seems) high speed pursuits changes everything. My personl choice would be the 5 - but as I said as soon as he gets on the 5 it will stop cold. <BR> <BR>The best thing to do is to keep the car radio on one of the all news stations after he gets close to the LA basin -- I know, I know - that isn't a teenager's idea of a good time. But those stations KFI, KCBS, etc have frequent traffic reports and can make all the difference.

On a Friday afternoon there will be no escape from congestion on any of his alternatives - I-405/10, US101/I-110, or I-5/110. He might actually do best by taking the Hollywood Fwy (101) and getting off on Vermont and going due south on surface streets right to USC. At least it moves, which is more than can often be said of any of the freeways. But the valley and the hills lie between him and USC, and it's an unforgiving landscape.

Your son is probably used to it if he lives in the SF bay area. He'll have to get used to it there too if he's going to USC.

We usually listen to the KFWB 98.0 on the AM dial for traffic reports. They come on every 10 minutes on the ones, 12:01, 12:11, 12:21, etc. They will let him know if there has been an accident or traffic is backed up and he can plan accordingly. I prefer the 5 to the 110, but at rush hour it's not going to matter too much

Actually, my son will be en route to college in Texas. He's driving to Burbank on Friday to pick up his roommate, stay overnight and the two of them will leave on Saturday morning and head for Texas. BUT, my son's girlfriend is in USC, and he was hoping to drop by late Friday afternoon for a visit and then drive back to Burbank before 8 p.m. So that's the scenario. I've suggested that maybe it will end up being too much of a hassle sitting in traffic for hours for a one hour visit -- but then I know I'm being a silly, rational mom and not a young person in love.