There are many great things to love about Los Angeles, California. The climate is always beautiful. The beaches are warm and inviting. For an auto enthusiast or auto repair buff, there are plenty of car-related attractions to enjoy. Unfortunately, traffic and commutes definitely are not one of the things to love about LA. In fact, Los Angeles roads have become synonymous all around the world with lines of cars stuck in traffic. However, if the idea of spending hours waiting bored on the freeway sounds like a nightmare to you, there's hope! There are alternate routes to take to avoid some of LA's worst snarls if you know them. Fortunately, we've gathered some of LA's top auto repair and towing experts for their best shortcuts and tips. Before we show you the shortcuts, here are a few general things you can do to avoid getting stuck in LA's traffic snarls.
Use Online GPS and Navigation
Navigation apps like Google Maps and Waze for Android and iPhone are taking off in the City of Angels. And there's a good reason for it, too. These apps help users navigate by measuring traffic. By monitoring traffic data in real-time, the apps can re-route motorists to avoid areas of high congestion. Both apps work very well in LA to help find a faster route to your destination, based on real-time data. Choose one, or try both, since they're both free!
Avoid Peak Hours
If possible, avoid driving at all during gridlock hours. You'll save hours of frustration by simply doing something else instead, say local auto repair and towing experts. Usually, these times for weekdays are mornings between 6:30 am and 9:30 am, and evenings between 4:30 pm and 8:00 pm. If going out for the weekend, try to plan your drive outside of 10:00 am and 2:00 pm, and 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm.
Take an Uber or Lyft Instead
Drivers from both Uber and Lyft have well saturated the Los Angeles market. It's hard not to find a car with one of their logos emblazoned on the front or back (Oh, those pink Lyft Moustaches!). Ridesharing helps to reduce the number of cars on the road. In addition, seasoned drivers often know good shortcuts through LA traffic that can shave time from your route. Many drivers use both services to earn fares, and there are debates over which is better in Los Angeles. Both offer free fares for first-time riders, so you can try both.
Or Try Public Transportation
Taking the bus or train isn't the disaster it used to be. They're safe, inexpensive, and get you just about anywhere. In fact, according to local auto repair and towing experts, it can be better than being stuck in traffic. In addition, say local experts, you don't have to worry about parking, and you don't risk a ticket by taking the train instead. LA's public transportation system always beats the drudgery of long traffic jams any day of the week.
Local Traffic Re-Routing Tips From The Experts
And for some more specific tips on avoiding LA traffic, here are a few specific re-routes, as told by local LA auto repair experts:
- In Hollywood, you can shave off a few minutes by trying Franklin Avenue instead of Sunset, or Hollywood Boulevard.
- Olympic & Pico are decent substitutes for the 10 if it's really jammed.
- Take Malibu Canyon or Las Virgenes to Pacific Coast Highway to avoid the 101 & 405 freeways.
- If you're trying to get to Hollywood or the 101 from West Hollywood, consider taking Fountain Ave.
- Try Laurel or Coldwater Canyon between the Valley to the West Side to avoid the 405 freeway. It may be stop-and-go, but less than the 405 freeway, and offers beautiful scenery to boot.
- Calneva, Woodcliff, and Roscomare are good shortcuts off Mulholland to and from the Valley and the City.
- Sepulveda and Centinela are good alternate street routes to LAX for the times when the 405 is a parking lot.
- If Sepulveda is congested too, consider Pershing Drive, and Highland Ave. instead.
- Don't forget about Aviation Boulevard either; it runs parallel to Sepulveda, you can catch it from the 405 and 105, and it has a quarter of the traffic at rush hour.
- If traveling East into the San Gabriel Valley from Downtown L.A. and carpooling, then the 10 freeway would be a better bet than the 60 freeway because it has a carpool lane.
- In fact, if you have carpool access, you have access to a carpool lane on the 110, 134, and 405 freeways.
- Going downtown from Santa Monica, the Eastbound 10 is always a mess for the evening commute. On a good day, speeds are hovering between 30 and 35 mph, but on particularly bad days Venice Blvd. is a good alternative.
- Pacific Coast Highway is better than the 405, although there is slowing especially between The McClure tunnel and Chautauqua going North through Malibu.
- Surface streets on the West Side, use 23rd Street/Walgrove vs. Lincoln Blvd.