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Los Angeles,
CA: For the past week Los
Angeles media has been warning of the impending doom now
dubbed Carmageddon or the Car Armageddon. The planned
shutdown of 10 miles of interstate 405 between HWY 101
in the San Fernando Valley and Interstate 10 in Santa
Monica to allow for bridge repairs, HOV lanes and
widening of the heavily traveled major thoroughfare even
made national news being featured on CNN, ABC and other
networks. This isn't just any road. This 10 mile
stretch sees an average of 330,000 vehicles per day and
backs up even on the weekends. It is the major
conduit from The Valley to West Los Angeles, Santa
Monica and the beach cities.
This is a
city that lives by the car and though often advertised
that 'anywhere in LA is just 20-minutes away'. As a
resident of Marina district, I am still trying to figure
out exactly where those places are. Downtown Los
Angeles is 13 miles from my home. Unless it's midnight,
it is typically a 45-60 minute trip each way. I can get
to the airport 8 miles away in under 20 minutes if I
don't take the freeway but in general, traffic is an
issue in Los Angeles. Therefore I was a bit apprehensive
about driving to a friend's house in the Hollywood Hills
today, given she lives off of one of the three canyon
passes between The Valley and Beverly Hills. What I
expected to be a nightmare, turned into one of the most
delightful days of my life.
The first
clue that expectations required reordering occurred
Friday night about 6:30PM when I drove down the street
to my local drugstore. Usually this parking lot is
packed and impossible to park in. Five parking spots
next to the door...all open welcomed me. In fact, half
the parking lot was empty. Never had I seen this before
and carmageddon was still 5 1/2 hours away.
The
second arrived with my morning coffee, which I take on
the balcony, and am generally serenaded with various
forms of traffic noise. This morning I heard the birds
and counted only a couple dozen cars per cup.
When I
ventured out at 1PM to head for The Hills, I crossed the
405 at Palms, about a mile below where the freeway would
be closed and fully expected to see a massive traffic
jam. I counted 6 cars going Northbound toward the 10
interchange and I actually made it to Beverly Hills in
under 20 minutes...on surface streets. The expected
traffic jams on Benedict and Coldwater Canyon likewise
did not exist.
By 5:30PM when I left the party, nothing
had changed. Even Sunset Blvd, normally pretty busy with
weekend drivers and tourists, on this day I shared the
five mile stretch with fewer than 40 cars. As I
approached the 405, I kept waiting for traffic. It never
came.
I
traversed the overpass and slid onto a side street in
Brentwood that wasn't gated, parked my car and walked
back to the overpass. Several photographers were already
there, including a blogger who asked me to take his
picture with the empty freeway as a backdrop. About this
time I noticed the falcon. He was the only thing moving,
going from the street light to street signs and back. I
later learned he lives there and makes sport out of any
wayward pigeon.
Then I
noticed the southbound lanes had an occasional car.
After fifteen minutes and a half dozen cars curiosity
won and I walked to the traffic cops to find out who
these people were that got to travel on a closed
freeway.
"Only the
Northbound lanes are closed. Southbound are open," he
said.
Really?
That had to be the best kept secret in LA and invitation
I could not pass up.
Snapping
a few parting shots I rushed back to my car, put the top
down and set the iPod to Bob Segar. Hollywood Nights
seemed the appropriate soundtrack with the full moon
translucent on the eastern horizon and the sun just
starting to sink below the pass. As I edged toward the
on ramp, nervously I looked at the prowler parked off
the entrance, expecting bubble gum lights in my rearview
at any moment. The CHP (California Highway Patrol)
officer simply waved me on.
I still
wasn't sure this was real. Before me, five lanes of
empty asphalt in all directions. Not a single car in
sight, neither in front nor behind. I was tempted to
just stop in the middle of the freeway and get out of my
car but didn't. I could speed if I wanted to but found
myself going just 55 miles an hour. I felt powerful,
free and unencumbered. The ocean, night jasmine and all
the scents normally obscured by idling engines tickled
my nose and the warm breeze ruffled my hair. I heard a
church bell toll but not a single horn. As I passed
Santa Monica Blvd, a few cars joined me but even the can
of worms diverting traffic to interstate 10, usually
backed up, boasted only the occasional car merging onto
the 405 below the closure.
There is
something surreal about being the only car on the road,
that sense of intimacy between man and machine. It is
something I never thought I'd feel in a city the size of
Los Angeles, particularly during daylight on a Saturday
afternoon. But today I did. As I exited the freeway for
a moment I was tempted. Like a child disembarking
from a ride a Disneyland, I considered driving back up
to Sunset and taking the ride again. But no. Memories
strengthen on novelty whilst fading in significance
through repetition. I'd rather keep the idea and
know that on one day in July, I had a freeway all to
myself.
Laura Dawn Lewis is the
creator of the Editorial,
Event & Promotional Calendar for
media and marketing professionals. Additionally she is
the founder of Couples
Company and
the author of over 20 books covering fiction and
non-fiction subjects.
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