Shortcut Savvy
Stuck in gridlock again? Get some relief from these commuter secrets
Thousands of square miles of concrete connect commuters through L.A.'s built environment. Streets like Sunset, Wilshire, Ventura, and Figueroa are world-famous, but to locals they're infamous ... for the traffic. Commuting veterans know the fastest routes to circumvent gridlock: low-profile thoroughfares that get them where they need to go much faster. Hundreds of valuable shortcuts are embedded deep in the urban fabric; below are just 10 - covering from downtown to Venice - that can help you avoid traffic. Every neighborhood has these routes, so explore a bit to find your own. The time you save will be all yours.
-Mike Sonksen
Wilton/Arlington/Van Ness. This route - a far faster north-south artery than Western or Normandie - goes uninterrupted from the Hollywood Hills all the way to Torrance. It's Wilton Place 'til you get to Olympic Boulevard, when it becomes Arlington Avenue. At Slauson, Arlington becomes Van Ness.
Hauser/Martel. This north-south route beats La Brea or Fairfax. Hauser Boulevard goes from the Crenshaw District to the Miracle Mile in quiet style; it turns into Martel Avenue at Third Street and goes all the way up to Santa Monica Boulevard, with traffic lights at all the crucial intersections. Around Willoughby or Waring, you can jog a block west to Gardner Street and follow that as far as Franklin Avenue.
Inglewood/Centinela. Inglewood Avenue begins in Mar Vista and continues all the way to Florence Avenue in Inglewood. It's a great alternative to the 405 or Sepulveda Boulevard. At Jefferson, the name changes to Centinela, but it's the same street for 15-plus miles.
Palms. One of the best of the best. Palms Boulevard goes from Venice to Pico-Robertson, passing through Mar Vista, Palms, and Cheviot Hills. Compared to Pico or Venice Boulevard, Palms is a real mover.
23rd/Walgrove. Passing just west of the Santa Monica Airport, this north-south slide is a smooth, sloped ride when Westside streets like Lincoln or Bundy/Centinela are hellish.
Buckingham. When you need to get from the Crenshaw District to mid-city, Buckingham Road is much quicker than Crenshaw Boulevard. It connects to West Boulevard and a funky scenic bridge close to Washington.
Ocean Park. This is by far the quietest east-west artery in Santa Monica.
Sixth Street. Though this gets hectic in Koreatown, it flows pretty fast from East L.A. to San Vicente, and it's beautiful through Hancock Park.
Allesandro. This small road goes from Echo Park over to Riverside Drive and Elysian Valley far faster than Glendale Boulevard.
Published: 08/04/2005
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