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Prediction: 'Carmageddon' Will Not be that Bad

By Zach Behrens
July 15, 2011
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'Awesome. Zero traffic on the 405N. Carmageddon should happen more often,' wrote Flickr user i be GINZ when snapping this photo today.
'Awesome. Zero traffic on the 405N. Carmageddon should happen more often,' wrote Flickr user i be GINZ when snapping this photo today.

Don't get me wrong. There will be traffic. This is Los Angeles after all. But I'm going to go out on a limb here and say "carmageddon" will not end in any major inconvenience to the city as a whole.

There are going to be headaches for some, visitors will likely be caught off guard, many businesses will unfortunately be set back and I do have major concerns for medical care institutions on the Westisde, but I have faith that most all Angelenos will heed officials' warnings to stay away.

Two years ago Michael Jackson died. His public funeral was held downtown and city officials formed a public mantra: if you do not have a ticket, do not come down here. It worked. When I emerged from the subway that morning to cover the events for LAist, the crowds on the streets were equivalent to a busy night on the town, as if a Lakers game and a couple concerts were simultaneously occurring at the Staples Center and L.A. Live. Back in 1984, people also listened during two weeks of the summer Olympic games. Traffic was great, observers say.

If we could do it in the past, we can do it again. And if for some reason we happen to fail this weekend, we'll have another chance next year to do better. That's because the 405 Freeway again will be shut down to complete the project.

The photo used on this post is by Flickr user i be GINZ. it was used under a Creative Commons License.

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