Continue reading Did LA's Carmageddon scare trigger a baby boom?

Did LA's Carmageddon scare trigger a baby boom? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Carmageddon fears fizzle as 405 reopens ahead of schedule

Carmageddon fears fizzle as 405 reopens ahead of schedule originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Jul 2011 09:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

JetBlue's $4 flights over LA's Carmaggedon completely sold out originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Jul 2011 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Motorists in the Los Angeles area are facing down what could be one of the worst traffic situations in California's already tangled history. Beginning on the evening of Friday, July 15, a 10-mile section of the 405 freeway will be closed so that construction crews can bring down part of the Mulholland Drive Bridge. That 10-mile section won't open to traffic again until sometime in the early hours of Monday, July 18. If you've ever driven in the area, you'll understand why SoCal residents are terrified and calling it "Carmageddon."

A few enterprising folks have decided to turn this traffic nightmare into a business opportunity. SiriusXM will launch a new channel appropriately titled Carmageddon Radio. Starting at 10am on July 15, satellite radio listeners can tuned in to channel 140 for updates and driving advice related to the 53-hour 405 freeway shutdown. SiriusXM will conclude its Carmageddon Radio programming on Monday July 18 at 5pm PST.

It's not just SiriusXM that's jumping into the Carmageddon pool, however, as a few others are toeing the traffic-related marketing line. Landmark Theatres is offering movie goers free popcorn at its two L.A. locations. Starting at 7pm on Friday, the free popcorn promotion will run throughout the weekend. Another enterprising entrepreneur is musician Ken Elkinson. Mr. Elkinson produces ambient instrumental music, which he says is wonderful backdrop to one's commute. In fact, his 60-track box set is titled Music for Commuting, and Ken Elkinson is giving an entire collection away starting Monday July 11. Music for Commuting is available as a free downloadable ZIP file at Ken's site until Monday, July 18.

There's no doubt that this is going to be a terrible weekend for Southern California. Those who've never experienced L.A.-area traffic simply won't understand. Stop-and-go frustration can strike at any hour of any day - and that's when the 405 is open for business. Still, it's good to see a few folks jumping in to try and offer some good.

Oh, if you were't already aware, the 405 will be shut down a second time later this year to bring down the other half of the Mulholland Drive Bridge. In other words, Carmageddon will strike twice - we can only hope the giveaways will return as well.

Have you heard about any other items or services being offered this weekend in response to the 405 closure? If so, let us know about them in the comments below.

Carmaggedon Radio coming to SiriusXM for LA drivers, others taking advantage of freeway shutdown originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Jul 2011 16:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you've ever driven through Los Angeles, you understand how terrible the traffic can be. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to it, and your commute can come to a grinding halt regardless of the hour or day. For one weekend, however, LA commuters will know exactly when traveling on the 405 will result in extreme gridlock.

California construction workers will be shutting down a 10-mile stretch of the freeway for 53 hours. On July 16th and 17th, workers will begin demolishing a portion of the 50-year-old Mulholland Bridge. Later in the year, the freeway will again be closed so that the rest may be taken down.

City officials have provided notice well ahead of the impending closure, but there's no doubt that motorists will find themselves immersed in some severe cases of gridlock. This is Southern California we're talking about, and traffic there is a part of life. That said, county supervisor Zev Yaroslovsky has some poignant advice for worried motorists:

The best alternative route is to totally avoid the 405 area, completely avoid it, don't come anywhere near it, don't even think about coming to it. Stay the heck out of here.

Planned 405 Freeway closure has LA motorists thinking Carmageddon originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Jun 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: Spy Photos: Porsche Panamera

Reader Spy: Porsche Panamera on the 405 Freeway originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 24 Jun 2007 17:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.