Hello Neighbors!

Meet Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and represent the Beverly Glen community!

He’ll be talking with our Westside neighbors at a Town Hall Dialogue about issues facing LA and our area on Monday, September 12th.  Click here to download the flyer:

9-12 Mayor meeting Westside

No need to RSVP but if you plan to attend, please let Traffic Committee Chair Evelyn Alexander know (traffic@beverlyglen.org); we may try to put together a carpool for people who want to attend.

Hello neighbors!

As you know, tonight begins the weekend-long closure of the 405 Freeway between the 10 and the 101.  Below you will find some detailed information about when ramps will close.  The freeway is anticipated to be re-opened by 6 am on Monday.

If you are staying in the Glen, a police and fire command center will be stationed at Fire Station #99 in case of emergencies.  If you  have an emergency, please dial 9-1-1.  If you have a non-emergency situation, please dial 877-ASK-LAPD or 3-1-1.

Also if you are staying in the Glen, a suggestion from your friendly Traffic Committee Chair:  get out and WALK!  Be visible.  We will have people driving through who are not used to driving through Beverly Glen.  Let them see people here!  Let them see us with our kids and our dogs, enjoying our community.  Then next time they come through, maybe they will drive courteously because they know that Beverly Glen is a neighborhood and a community.

Here is detailed ramp closure information:

Northbound I-405: 10-mile closure between I-10 and U.S. 101

NB Skirball On Ramp  (7pm)

NB Getty On Ramp (7pm)

NB Santa Monica On Ramp (7pm)

EB Wilshire to NB 405 On Ramp (8pm)

EB 10 to NB 405 Connector Closure (9pm)

NB Sunset On Ramp (8pm)

NB Moraga On Ramp (8pm)

NB Olympic/Pico On Ramp (Cotner) (10pm)

WB Wilshire to NB 405 On Ramp (10pm)

WB 10 to NB 405 Connector Closure (11pm)

NB HOV (carpool lane)  # 1 South of I?10 (10pm)

NB Full Closure at I?10 (12am)

Southbound I-405: 4-mile closure between U.S. 101 and Getty Center Drive Ramps

The following begin at 7pm:

SB Valley Vista On Ramp (7pm)

SB Ventura On Ramp (7pm)

NB 101 to Haskell Ave Off Ramp (8pm)

SB 101 to Haskell Ave Off Ramp (8pm)

NB 101 to SB 405 Connector (10pm)

Ventura Blvd/Sepulveda Blvd/Greenleaf St to NB/SB 101 On Ramp (10pm)

SB 101 to SB 405 Connector (11pm)

Ramps and connectors will be reopened by 6 a.m. on Monday, July 18.

Below is a big long message from Metro, which is coordinating all efforts related to the closure of the 405 this weekend.  You can read the whole schmageggy, but I will summarize it for you here:  There will be extra LAPD and LAFD officers stationed at Fire Station 99, just east of BG at Mulholland.  Apparently 71 (at Sunset) will not have additional staffing.

If you have an EMERGENCY this coming weekend, please dial 9-1-1 as usual.  If you have a non-emergency, you can call 3-1-1 or 877-ASK-LAPD.  There is no special non-emergency number being staffed for this event.  The Metro 405 project hotline mentioned in the blurb below is a voice mail only number – feel free to call and leave a message if you have a question.

The attachment at the bottom is a press release from LA Fire Dept basically gives you a longer version of the above.

Here’s the longer version from an e-mail from Metro’s 405 project manager:

“Some of you requested a special number where you can call to report traffic and other emergencies over the 405 closure weekend.  I’d like to report back that the 405 project team brought your concerns and requests directly to the Unified Command  regarding a special number for emergencies, as it is under their jurisdiction.  The Unified Command gave serious consideration to the requests and in the end based their decisions solely on the safety  and security  of all residents and commuters during the weekend closure.  The Unified Command is doing everything they can to protect the safety of all of the citizens of Los Angeles.

The Unified Command decided not to provide the public a special call to number.  They believe it’s best that  ALL  emergency calls (medical, traffic or other)  should be placed to 911.  911 has special capabilities that a 1-800 # would not.  If a call is dropped, 911 has the ability to trace the call and send responders to that location.   911 automatically records and monitors every call.  911 dispatchers are trained to provide critical pre-arrival instructions, such as CPR or the Heimlich Maneuver.   911  is set up to directly communicate with the Unified Command to alert them to police, medical , fire or traffic related emergencies allowing each agency to respond as necessary.  Some of you have expressed concern that the 911 system can be overloaded.  It has been confirmed that there is no chance of an overload to the system occurring and there will be additional resources staffing 911 over the weekend.

Keep in mind that the Unified Command will have set up 13 satellite divisions throughout the area for the weekend.  These will be fixed posts and will have personnel from police, fire and traffic ready to respond.  The locations of these have not been made public as part of their plan.  However, they will cover areas north, south, east and west of the bridge.

The Unified Command will be located at a central location in the City of Los Angeles’ Emergency Operation Center (translation from bureaucratese:  in City Hall).  They will have direct contact to emergency responders and also to hundreds of traffic control officers located around the closure and detour areas.  Trained engineers and signal experts will also be on the ground to make changes to signals when necessary.  The Unified Command will also have access to thousands of signal cameras throughout the City which will enable them to make decisions at a moment’s notice.  Technical engineers will also be working at the Caltrans Traffic Management Center monitoring conditions on regional freeways.  It is worthy of noting that there will be regularly scheduled media briefings throughout the weekend and so the public will not be without critical information.  If you are interested in following the details, your best bet for doing so is to follow up us on Twitter.com/i_405 or tune in to KNX 1070 AM.

For real time traffic conditions, the public is encouraged to call 511 or visit Go511.com.  For City related issues, the public can call 311 .  Extra personnel will be on hand during the weekend closure with extended hours.  311 will be operational from 8:00am to 10:00pm from Friday, July 15 through Sunday, July 17.  People in the County can call 211.   The 405 project hotline, (213) 922-3665, will also be checked regularly throughout the weekend (again – this is a voice mail number only – no human will pick up at this number).  The hotline will not handle emergency situations or provide directions, but will be made available for other questions and concerns.”

405 Closure Fire Dept. Release 0711

Hello Neighbors!

We hope you are enjoying your summer, and that soon we will all look back on the coming weekend during which the 405 will be closed, having survived it!

Below are some links with information that you may find useful:

Bel Air Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council page with info on the freeway closure.

Visit http://www.metro.net/projects/I-405/ for the most current information

Other information on the I-405 weekend closure and associated traffic impacts can be found at http://www.beagreencommuter.com/blog/?cat=266

For airport ground transportation and travel tips on getting to and from LAX go to http://www.lawa.org/405/

Two websites for viewing real-time traffic conditions before getting in your vehicle are Sigalert.com for the freeways and http://trafficinfo.lacity.org/ for surface streets in Los Angeles.

Here’s the official detour map (pdf document will open in a new window) – but don’t expect people to stick to these routes…..

And finally, here’s a list of Metro and Metrolink rail and bus lines that will be free next weekend!  Leave the car at home – use transit!!

Hi neighbors!

I monitored a live web-chat today hosted by Metro.  There were two gentlemen answering questions:

Doug Failing, Metro’s Executive Director of Highway Projects (who previously worked for CalTrans for 29 years)

Krishniah Murthy, Executive Director of Transit Project Delivery for Metro (he oversees all of Metro’s construction projects)

The transcript of the web-chat is attached here; you would read from the bottom up if you want to see the questions in the chronological order in which they were asked.

I have bolded the questions to make it easier to read.  I have also turned my own question about the canyons and another question from a Roscomare resident red.

Please refer to the post below for more details about the closure, which will begin on Friday, July 15th and end on Monday, July 18th.

Evelyn Alexander
Traffic Committee Chair

Metro 405 Live Chat 6-29-11

Hello Neighbors!

If you don’t already know it, the 405 freeway will be closed the weekend of July 15 through July 18, from the 101 freeway to the 10 freeway.  Metro will be demolishing the Mulholland Bridge that weekend (which will of course also be closed!) in the process of improving the 405 freeway.  You can find more information here:  http://www.metro.net/projects/I-405/.

Councilmember Paul Koretz and Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky have encouraged people to avoid the area or stay home that weekend.  Unfortunately for us, we are a thoroughfare that many will use as an alternate when the freeway is closed.  This means that we will be experiencing higher than normal traffic through Beverly Glen that weekend.  Councilmember Koretz assures us that measures have been taken to ensure that public safety services to canyon residents will not be impacted.  You can read an article about LAFD and LAPD’s planning for this weekend here:  http://shermanoaks.patch.com/articles/public-safety-will-be-the-priority-during-405-closure-officials-say-2#comments.

You can also call Councilman Koretz’s office at 818-971-3088 if you have questions.

The LAPD West LA Community Police Advisory Board (C-PAB) is honored to have the Los Angeles City Attorney, Carmen A. Trutanich as our guest speaker on Tuesday, July 27th at the West LA Community Police Station (1663 Butler Ave., LA 90025, west of the 405 and south of Santa Monica Blvd). Refreshments begin at 6:30pm, the meeting begins promptly at 7:00pm. For those you who currently aren’t members you are cordially invited to attend. Come early!!!!

C-PAB is a partnership between LAPD and the community. These meetings bring you up to date on the latest crime trends in our area and let us communicate directly with the area commanding officer and staff as well as the officers who patrol our area. Other items that are discussed are emergency preparedness, traffic and almost anything that deals with public safety. Officer Ray Barron from LAPD community relations will have applications available if you or someone you delegate want to officially join. The WLA C-PAB meets the fourth Tuesday of each month. If there is an item you would like to be placed on the agenda please contact Robert A. Ringler (wlatraffic@roadrunner.com).

We are working with LAPD’s community Speedwatch supervisor to train members of our community to use the LAPD’s laser speed gun.  Once trained, we will be able to monitor traffic in small groups.  Speeding drivers will be sent a letter by LAPD informing them that they have been seen speeding in our area.  No tickets will be issued, but other areas with a community speedwatch have reduced the number of speeding cars in their communities through their efforts.  If you would like to volunteer for this activity, please contact Evelyn Alexander at 310-470-3024, or traffic@beverlyglen.org.  You will need to complete an LAPD background check before being certified.  We need your help – please help us slow traffic down on Beverly Glen as a Speedwatch volunteer!

LAPD West Bureau Traffic Committee Agenda 6-9-10

Traffic Committee Agenda 6-9-10Reminder LAPD West Bureau Traffic Committee Mtg. 6-9-10