How to Effectively Avoid LA Traffic

It’s known as the City of Angels, but you’re probably not feeling angelic if you’re stuck in LA traffic. Los Angeles has the sixth-worst traffic in the country, making it a nightmare to get around in the area if you don’t know the streets to avoid.

The average Los Angeles resident spends at least 62 hours stuck in traffic per year. This might not sound like much, but it’s almost double the average in the rest of the country. 

There was a slight break during and post-pandemic when the LAX airport’s passenger levels and tourism dropped. As of July 2022, all is well and thriving again, and traffic congestion is back to its usual slow and steady crawl.

The good news is there are ways you can effectively avoid the bulk of the issues on your commute. Try these tips, and you’ll be driving like a native Angeleno (without the extra hours sitting in logjammed traffic).

1. Plan Your Travel Time Around Rush Hour

As with every city, LA has peak hours where travel tends to pile up more than usual. People are rushing to their destination, and car accident rates increase.

During the week, rush hour is typically between 6:30 am-9:30 am and 4:30 pm-8:00 pm. On the weekends, the times to avoid are 10:00 am to 2:00 pm and 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. 

The times are rather standard with the rush hours in other busy large cities as people are going to and from work and school and running errands. If you can 

If your schedule is flexible, or you can leave a little early or late to avoid the gridlock, try to make it happen. Remember, that extra wait would likely be spent stuck in traffic anyway. By adjusting your drive time, you take control of where you’re waiting.

2. Get Comfy With Your GPS

A decade or so ago, when we were still living back in the “caveman” age of technology, people came upon traffic snarls unexpectedly. Today, we get to enjoy the Digital Era, and the past ten years have seen significant innovations to help avoid sitting in a jam.

Get familiar with your Google Maps or Waze apps. They’re on Android and iPhones, and when you use them to map your route, the software gives you a real-time heads-up on the quickest way to get there. 

You’ll see a visual of any traffic jams on your way. The apps will reroute you to avoid busy areas. Even better, they’re free to use.

3. Use Other Transportation

Instead of driving, consider taking other transportation, such as a rideshare or public transportation. That way, even if you’re sitting in traffic, you can be productive. 

Riding the bus or taking the train can save you time in other ways, too. LA parking is notoriously complicated. Letting someone else drive lets you skip the headache of trying to find a spot for your car or risking getting a ticket.

Rideshares and buses help reduce traffic on the road, which decreases car accident rates, too. Buses have a particular route to follow, and long-term rideshare drivers know the best shortcuts around busy roads.

If you work from your phone or laptop, traffic won’t be a big issue when you’re a passenger. Pull out your electronics and answer emails or work on your next project, and let the driver deal with the stress.

4. Skip the Main Streets

You know that route that gets you from Point A to Point B with the least turns? That’s the one everyone else is taking, too. If you want to avoid getting stuck on the road with all of them, you’ll need to figure out a different way to get where you’re going.

Yes, this might mean the route takes you “longer.” But when you consider the time you’ll spend on the road is actively driving instead of passively sitting in traffic, it’s worth the extra few miles and turns.

Here are a few of the streets to avoid and how to get around them:

  • Skip the 10 and drive Olympic and Pico instead.
  • Stay away from the freeways, like 101 and 405, and use Malibu Canyon and Las Virgenes until you get to the Pacific Coast Highway.
  • Take Franklin Avenue instead of Sunset or Hollywood Boulevard.
  • Fountain Avenue will take you to Hollywood and 101 if you’re coming from West Hollywood.
  • Take Centinela, Sepulveda, or Pershing Drive with a connection to Highland Avenue rather than 405 to get to LAX.

The more comfortable you get with the area and your GPS, the quicker you’ll find side roads to get you where you want to go. Taking the long route is usually the faster, safer choice.

Conclusion

Navigating your way through LA doesn’t have to mean sitting in the quicksand of traffic the city is known for. Try these four tips to avoid much of the standstills and fill your day with more fun (or, if you can’t have fun, you can at least be more productive).

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