405

Learning to love LA without traffic

Many people old enough to remember the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles talk about that two weeks as their favorite time in the city. There was fun stuff going on every day, and traffic was mellow. Carmageddon weekend (part one) is already taking on the same image. KTLA's Sam Rubin waxes rhapsodic on his blog:

People stayed home. People worked from home. Employers staggered work schedules, enabling employees to take the day off, work from home, or leave early. And you know what. It worked. It worked better than a multi-billion dollar subway, worked better than wider and wider freeways. People all over the Southland were given a crystal clear message and they responded....

These last three days; quieter, less frenetic, better; is like the Los Angeles I grew up in. So many of my friends this weekend said the exact same thing. We want this version of Carmageddon to return as soon as possible.

At The Wrap, Sharon Waxman goes there too:

That was the most stress-free, relaxing two days on the byways of Los Angeles that I can remember. A pleasure.

I loved Carmageddon.

Everybody stayed home. The weather was glorious. The streets were empty. Less smog. Less crowding. Less global warming.

In the UCLA-KCET show on Carmageddon, we said it could happen — D. J. Waldie talked about the prospect of "an Olympic miracle."


More by Kevin Roderick:
Gustavo Arellano, many others join LA Times staff
Power out Monday across Malibu
Put Jamal Khashoggi Square outside the Saudi consulate on Sawtelle
Here's who the LA Times has newly hired*
LA Observed Notes: Clippers hire big-time writer, unfunny Emmys, editor memo at the Times and more
Recent 405 stories on LA Observed:
Metro's 405 contractor sues the agency over delays
Westside's long 405 construction nightmare all but over (photos)
This will be a bad traffic weekend around Sepulveda Pass
LAPD officer saves lucky Christmas drunk from burning car on 405
'Carmageddon' bridge over 405 opens
Final Wilshire@405 fly-over ramp to open Thursday
First flyover ramp opens at Wilshire and the 405
Soon as the 405 is done, more work planned for Wilshire


 

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