Mayor Karen Bass visited the construction site of the I-10 freeway this morning where she toured active work with Caltrans and observed how urgent progress will continue during the anticipated rain. The tour followed a morning helicopter ride to survey the impacts of the 10 freeway and assess morning rush hour traffic with Fire Chief Kristin Crowley.
Many hundreds of thousands of Angelenos will be impacted by this freeway closure. During the 1994 Northridge earthquake, Caltrans worked around the clock to complete emergency repairs to the freeways, and this structural damage calls for the same level of urgency and effort.
The Mayor continues to note that despite the good news of the freeway repair timeline, she will continue to bring urgency as she and local, state and federal officials move forward with continuous efforts to help mitigate the traffic impacts to communities and commuters. See photos and videos of the helicopter tour here. See videos of the site tour here.
“I just got off of the helicopter surveying traffic in the area,” said Mayor Karen Bass. “I’ve been coming to the site every day since the fire and while our progress has been tremendous, we must continue with urgency. Metro ridership on the E Line increased 10 percent yesterday. People are taking public transportation, telecommuting, and paying attention to our message about using the other freeways for detours. With rain expected, we will continue to operate with absolute urgency to get the job done.”
Prior to Mayor Bass’ morning Metro E line ride, the Office of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass provided its third 6:00 AM morning traffic update related to the closure of the 10 freeway. Deputy Mayor of Infrastructure Randall Winston announced the following actions to alleviate traffic impacts on commuters and communities and prepare for the rain expected to begin later today:
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The Mayor has directed the Department of Transportation to make the CommuterExpress buses free to help Angelenos safely and quickly get to Downtown via public transportation. LADOT DASH buses are free as well.
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Beginning today, Metrolink increased the number of trains from San Bernardino and Covina to Union Station, providing more options for travelers between the Inland Empire and downtown Los Angeles. The Mayor has also directed Metro to add buses to Lines 66 (Olympic) and 251 (Soto), which are the two lines we saw the most delays on yesterday.
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Mayor Bass has also directed LADOT to assist Metro in speeding up the E line, which runs along the 10 freeway closures, for Angelenos taking the train. There was a 10% increase in ridership on the E line yesterday.
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In preparation of rain, Mayor Bass has directed the Department of Transportation to increase the amount of white-glove traffic officers in the congested area to assist commuters to get through intersections faster.
More information will be made available on emergency.lacity.gov as the situation evolves.
The 6:00 AM PT traffic updates will be held every morning for the remainder of the week and will be livestreamed here. Angelenos should visit emergency.lacity.gov for up to date information.
Alleviating Traffic and Preparing for Rain
The Mayor announced yesterday that she has directed the Los Angeles City Department of Transportation to make commuter express buses free of charge to encourage Angelenos to use public transportation on their commutes. She has also directed the Department to assist Metro in making trains along the routes of the freeway closures go faster for Angelenos taking the train.
In preparation for the anticipated rain, Mayor Bass has directed the Department of Transportation to increase the amount of white-glove traffic officers in the congested area to assist commuters to get through intersections faster. LAHSA’s augmented winter shelter program has also been activated by direction of the Mayor for the unhoused population to move inside and shelter from the rain. Angelenos can find more information at https://www.lahsa.org/winter-shelter.
Reducing Future Risk
The Mayor has directed Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley to immediately begin surveying similar areas under overpasses and identifying spots that may be of concern in order to take a proactive posture of prevention. That effort began today and results will be announced when available.
Expediting the Rebuild
The good news announced yesterday regarding expected build times will not change the urgency that the Mayor will continue to bring in continuous efforts to help mitigate the traffic impacts to communities and commuters.
Supporting Impacted Businesses
Many businesses in and around downtown have been affected by the closure. Mayor Bass and her Deputy Mayor of Business and Economic Development today released a compiled list of state, federal and local resources available for impacted businesses. Resources will also be available on emergency.lacity.gov. The Mayor’s Office of Community Engagement has canvassed the businesses of the area and are actively engaged in order to provide support. In the coming weeks the Mayor will convene impacted business leaders to directly provide resources and support.
As she continues to treat this crisis with the urgency required, Mayor Bass will continue to be in direct contact with the White House and the Governor’s Office to ensure that the freeway is being worked on 24/7 until it is reopened.
Earlier this morning, Mayor Bass, Governor Newsom and other regional leaders provided an update on the 10 freeway closures where the Governor announced a timeline for repair. Watch this morning’s update here.
On Sunday evening, the Los Angeles Emergency Management Department issued a city-wide wireless emergency alert directing Angelenos to emergency.lacity.gov. Information is also being posted on Nextdoor and the City’s social media channels.
On the day of the fire, Mayor Bass activated the Emergency Operations Center as the city rapidly worked to respond to this damage. Angelenos should visit emergency.lacity.gov/updates for information about closures, alternative routes and public transportation options by going Metro.
The Mayor has directed all City departments to urgently respond to this fire by:
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Ensuring that there’s a plan for Angelenos who commute or live by this incident
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Working to get the 10 freeway up and running again as fast as possible
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Providing as much information as possible to ensure that our communities and commuters are well informed every step of the way
