Carmageddon - 405 freeway, Mulholland bridge, freeway closure, freeway shutdown, gridlock [View All]

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0712-lopez-4oh5-20110711,0,7959536.column
Escaping the 405 mess on flights of fancy
Burro pack teams and and hot air balloons are some of the solutions we'd like to see.


Hot air balloons, blimps and human catapults will go into service beginning promptly at 6 a.m. Saturday to transport people over the Sepulveda Pass during the closure of the 405. Reservations can be made online, and all major credit cards will be accepted. Afraid of flying? Not to worry. Burro pack teams will embark from stations on both Ventura and Sunset boulevards, with discounts for those who travel two per donkey.

Meanwhile, crisis counseling centers will be established by the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, with psychologists, personal transit planners and life coaches on hand. The staff will help travelers come to grips with the trauma of breaking routine, as well as helping them plan activities that don't require use of the 405. We anticipate a number of people suffering from disorientation, rage and general anxiety," said an LADOT spokesman. "This disruption can be survived if people pull together and, as needed, take advantage of the professional help we'll be offering." Crisis counseling will be offered at the Warner Center Park on Topanga Canyon in Woodland Hills; Galpin Jaguar on Roscoe Boulevard, east of the 405; the John Wooden Center at UCLA; and the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society of North Hollywood (where members will be encouraged to escape traffic problems by time traveling to a different weekend).

For those who absolutely must get quickly from the Valley to the Westside during the 405 closure, L.A. Department of Transportation chief Jaime de la Vega has volunteered to bring his Hummer out of retirement to assist travelers who don't mind traversing coyote trails. De la Vega plans to give preference to those with large cargo needs. Southwest Airlines, meanwhile, has announced weekend service from Bob Hope Airport to LAX, with departures every four minutes. Flight time will be 48 seconds, and there will be no drink service on the route.