Journey

traffic.tips

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The latest transportation studies show that the average American spends 36 hours per year stuck in traffic jams. In Southern California the figures rise to 56 hours per year. This page is here to help you avoid spending a good chunk of your vacation sitting on the freeway & more time for yourself. Check out the Time Guide page for planning travels in California & also our infamous backroads section for enjoying alternate scenic routes. The listed tips below will help you to NOT be sitting in gridlock traffic waiting to get to your destination.

Nothing is more aggravating than getting off of work early in order to get a head start on your weekend trip, only to sit in a traffic jam for two hours, just trying to get out of the city. Here some advice to ease your travels & get you weekend off to a pleasant start. Winter Road Condtions Areas to Avoid SoCal Traffic Maps Freeway Speeds Trip Timing Guide Interstate Rest Stops CA Leave Late, Stay Late Maps: Helpful Routes

"We drive into the future using only our rear view mirror". - Marshall McLuhan

California Highway Conditions, & Motorhome Length Limits California Highway Info, Construction & Restrictions RV size limits & Motorhome restrictions Trailers Length Limits Bus Routes and Limits

Real-time Freeway Maps traffic.com - real time traffic data sigalert.com - LA traffic map / SIG alert city traffic jams: Large urban areas such as Los Angeles, San Diego & San Francisco Bay area traffic is difficult to judge, so a visit various web sites a few days in advance to check traffic patterns of local commuters. Plan for a better drive and it could happen smoothly, this time.

Planned Lane Closures California Highway Conditions CAL-TRANS real time traffic cams - mapping of California roadways w/ constant update on cuurent traffic conditions. CALIFORNIA HWY INFO: 800-427-7623 All hours of the night & day you can find the California Dept. of Transportation (Cal Trans) closing roads & freeways. Just for peace of mind: Call ahead, especially on mountain routes & snowy winter conditions.

Road Information - Snow & Closures

Driving Directions: Map out one destination to another, specific written directions plus map.

SF BayLink Ferries - provides high speed commuter ferry service between Vallejo & San Francisco's Pier 39 and Ferry Building. Service to Angel Island is also available.

California Train Travels - local trolley, subways, metro, bart, amtrak, historic railways, museums, railroad info

California Snow in the Mountains! - road conditions in specific high altitude Sierra highways. Mountain areas are basically anything above 2000' - but west coast snow generally falls above 4000' elevation mark

Areas to Avoid if at all possible

San Diego SD (5-6 pm) Northbound 805/5 merge Northbound 15/163 merge Northbound 15 to Hwy.78 Eastbound 8 thru Mission Vally

Los Angeles LA / Orange County (4-7 pm) Northbound 405 LAX to SF Vlly. Southbound 5 into Orange Co. Eastbound 91 Eastbound 10

fleeing from SoCal - Leave from work before 3 pm , if not Don't rush, take your time, leave after 7 pm (make sure you let the innkeeper know that you'll be arriving late, and they'll get quite upset after midnight) Save yourself cash & stay only Saturday Night (altho some places, esp B&Bs usually require a 2 night minimum stay)

Returning to SoCal - Sundays 3 pm - 9 pm - almost all major arteries coming into a city can get backed up. Grapevine/ Tejon Pass from Bakersfield, I-5 Hwy.101 South, thru Santa Barbara can get bad I-15 Westbound coming from Las Vegas I-10 Westbound coming from Palm Springs Hwy.91 Westbound coming from the East

 

your escape route outta town

preplan for the freeway mess before you get stuck in it.

 

Region - San Diego
freeway	days	times	problem areas
5 N	weekdays	4-7pm	805 merge to Encinitas
15 N	weekdays	3-6pm	Mira Mar to Escondido
8 E	weekdays	4-6pm	Mission Valley to LaMesa
5	weekends	11am-4pm	summer months - beach traffic
5 near Del Mar	all week	11am-7pm	Horse Races JUNE - SEPT

Region - Los Angeles
freeway	days	times	problem areas
5 N	weekdays	4-7pm	Orange County to LA
5 S	weekdays	4-7pm	LA to Orange County
405 N	all the time	1-9 pm	LAX airport to San Fernanado Valley
405 S	weekdays	4-7pm	LAX airport to Long Beach / Orange County
405	weekends		summer months - beach traffic
10 E	weekdays	3-7pm	jct of Interstate 605 to Interstate 15
91 E	weekdays	4-7pm	winter months: Big Bear ski traffic can be heavy until 11pm

 

Helpful Route Maps

Must head North out of LA? Skirting the backside of LA is always a possiblity on a FRI night. Taking 15N, 10W, 210W will put you in the opposite direction of most of the bad traffic flow. Merge back up with I-5 North of San Fernando Valley. If you must get West to the coast, the Simi Valley 118 or the126 through Fillmore is the best option. Plenty of jump off spots for overnight camping on the Grapevine, inside Angeles National Forest & Los Padres National Forest. camp in route

#1 - Avoid Los Angeles, if possible. This will add 1-4 extra hours on to your road trip depending on the 'hellish & hectic' reasons this area normally experiences. If you must venture through, try doing so at night after 8pm. Watch out for frequent Cal-Trans freeway closures starting in the midnight hours. The Interstate 91 & Interstate 10 Eastbound are both bad situations during winter months due to Palms Springs & Big Bear ski crowds.

Lets face it, Vegas traffic back to California really sucks! The Interstate 15 is the main corridor that gets backed up on Friday nights Northbound at the I-10 & the I- 215 junction.

Southbound on Sundays is awaful from Barstow to San Bernardino. An alternate route is old Route 66 (best get a good map) & avoid the bumper to bumper in the high desert Mojave region. OLD ROUTE 66, anyone?

From Southern California

Headed to the Eastern Sierra's or Death Valley - Make sure to take the Interstate 15 straight up to Highway 395N. The turn off is just south of Victorville. " On the Road" gas up & quick food on the 395 is available in Adelanto & 'four corners' Hwy. 58 junction. But be warned it can get a little congested on Friday nights. An alternate is Interstate 15N to Interstate 215N to avoid most of the traffic from the west.

Typical afternoon rush hour problem spots in San Diego.

A small detour if traffic is bad on Hwy.78 in North County San Diego & you are headed Interstate 15 North. Twin Oaks Valley Rd. leads right up to Deer Springs Rd. & the 15.

Traffic Lanes & Driving Speeds

The chart above is NOT considered legal speeds, but they are kinda realistically what to expect on the FREEWAY. Interstate ins California get cranking and CHP is slways out in force, earning revenue for the state, as well as ensuring the safety of the roads. Seniors, tourists & outta stater visitors be warned. Large big rigs and SUVs kill with impact, so slow down a little folks.

So much for Sammy's "Can't Drive 55" Californians can't drive anywhere near 55. Now that the laws have increased the statewide speed to 65 or 70 mph, there is no stopping them. Unfortunately the average speeds are increasing all over the west, as people zoom from place to place, in a never ending transit society. This leaves way more dirt roads and rural backcountry left to us. TIP: Exit the rat race & take your time, for your sanity sake & safety... slow down. # 1 lane # 2 lane # 3 lane # 4 lane the passing lane crusing lane truck lane merging lane avg speed: 80 mph avg speed: 70 mph avg speeds: 65 mph avg speed: 60 mph California: Outside best back roads local camping scenic highways

 

Leave Late - Stay Late

Leave early Friday - Before 3 pm! - Leave early before the rush - Bring your bags/luggage to work on Fri. & leave straight from there		Leave late Friday - After 7 pm! - Leave late after the traffic dies down - Make sure you tell the innkeeper that you'll be arriving late. - Bring your bags/luggage to work on Fri. & leave straight from there
Stay Later So many times I have had friends leave our vacation early around noon on Sunday to "get back early"... which blows my mind. Why not enjoy your day off? Gotta get back, beat the traffic!!! Rushing home to do laundry & watch that boob tube? Enjoy your free weekend more. Why rush back to the city - just to sit in more gridlock traffic? Hang out & enjoy your destination longer. Avoid the stressful traffic jams; drive back late Sunday afternoon or early evening. Enjoy a relaxing restaurant dinner on the return trip. Maybe have time to check out another cool small town on the way home. Leave your weekend destination after 5pm & choose a new or less traveled route back.

Try these helpful suggestions for touring California -

Take the train

• Amtrak
• Los Angeles Metrolink
• San Diego Coaster
• San Diego Trolley

Check our Train Travel section
Journey on with suggestions on Sample Trips

- Bring your bags/luggage to work on Fri. & leave straight from there

- Take a cab/shuttle/drive over to the nearest train depot & have your partner meet you there

- Sit back & relax, rejuvinate yourself for your great weekend

 

Making the drive better -

• Share the driving with a friend or family member
• Carpool on long Road Trips - saves gas & nerves
• Caravan w/ another vehicle or group
• Pre-plan your stops & meeting spots down to the exact spot
• Use handheld 2 way radios or CBs to keep communication lines open. Cell phone coverage is spotty at best on mountain back roads and in most rural regions.

Listen to the local radio

Make time fly while driving, listen to music or the radio:
LA traffic reports: KFI 640 AM & KABC 790 AM

SD traffic reports: KOGO 600 AM & KFMB 760 AM

SF traffic reports: KGO 810 AM & KSFO 560 AM

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