HOV Lane routes through LA and Orange Counties

[PaulH]

My wife makes the trip from Bakersfield (north of LA) to San Diego two or three times a month.

The two obvious routes with partial HOV lanes are:

-Stay on 5, but there are no HOV lanes from near downtown to Orange County.

-Take the 405, but there are no HOV lanes through Westwood and the LAX area.

Do any of you LA basin dwellers have suggestions for using some of the inland freeways with HOV lanes to get through LA and Orange Counties?

Thank you,

Paul

[freedml]

Re: HOV Lane routes through LA and Orange Counties

When I go to Orange County during rush hour (I live in the Newhall Pass) I take the 210 (HOV lane through Pasadena, sometimes doesn't work in the evening rush) to the 57 (HOV lane through OC). Or you can go further East and take the 15 South (to North County Inland areas).

[c2sox]

Re: HOV Lane routes through LA and Orange Counties

The inland FWY's (10, 60 and 91) are all nasty during rush hour. Note sure about the 210 FWY. Going thru the inland empire will require you to connect thru the 15 and possibly the 78. if she's heading to downtown San Diego and that's a long route.

Best bet is to take the 405, the 5 is nasty as well. The 405 has carpool lanes pretty much all the way down to the 5, with the exception of the breaks in West LA thru LAX.

Your best option is to leave early or avoid rush hour traffic all together. It just all depends on what time of the day she'll be going thru LA.

[ieko]

Re: HOV Lane routes through LA and Orange Counties

I agree, your best bet is definitely the 405, although the carpool lane on it does get very crowded.

The stretch where there is no carpool lane is very small and there are ways around that area on bad days.

[denrique72]

Re: HOV Lane routes through LA and Orange Counties

I go to San Diego twice a month from the San Fernando Valley. Usually I take the 5 Fwy south and then hop on the 110 fwy south. From there, I catch the HOV lane just south of downtown, over to the 405 HOV and then the 5 south.

Or, if I leave early enough, I'll stay on the 5 southbound, get on the HOV lane after the 91, and get off at the HOV Gene Autry exit to fill up at the Anaheim SoCalGas station (Trillium). It's cheaper than most Clean Energy stations.

Hope that helps.

[Tax Counsel]

Re: HOV Lane routes through LA and Orange Counties

I live in Eastern Orange County and travel up the Grapevine quite often. The quickest route home is almost always taking I-5 South to I-210 East to SR-57 South.

At the end of SR-57, take the HOV transition to I-5 South. Once you're on I-5, you can either stay on it, or take the HOV transition to SR-55 South to pick up the SR-73 toll road to go around the El Toro Y.

Taking I-210 adds about 20 miles and saves you about 15-20 minutes. Construction on I-5 near the SR-91 interchange has made that area a nightmare: Bad traffic during the day and construciton at night.

[freedml]

Re: HOV Lane routes through LA and Orange Counties

I'm glad someone else agrees with me about 210 to 57. 405 and 5 are unpredictable and often bad most of the day.

[c2sox]

Re: HOV Lane routes through LA and Orange Counties

I'm glad someone else agrees with me about 210 to 57.

Let's just say that it's the scenic route

[jetboatjohnny]

Re: HOV Lane routes through LA and Orange Counties

We call that the "polar route" 210-57, I used to take that a lot when I lived in North Tustin.

[PaulH]

Re: HOV Lane routes through LA and Orange Counties

Thank you all so much for your responses. They were very helpful and will give her two clear alternatives.

[cngsteve]

Re: HOV Lane routes through LA and Orange Counties

As tough as the 405 is, even in the HOV, if she's going south in the AM, I'm not sure the 57/210 is worth the extra miles, as the 57 south is a bear in the morning, stopping at the merge with the 60 (no HOV until after this merge), and even the HOV lane stops dead at the HOV-to-HOV transition from 57 to 5 south. Just too many people going to Irvine, it seems. It breaks loose a little past the 55.

Coming north in the PM, the 5 HOV stops at the 55, the 57 HOV stops at the 91, and she'd have to leave the 57 HOV to make the merge with the 60 east at the end of the 57 (this is a real nightmare) to be able to split off again to continue on the 57 to the 210. If you stay in the HOV flyover to the 60 east, there is no opening to get to the 57 north split-off. If keeps you locked in until almost Chino Hills before you can get out.

Sorry to be a killjoy, but she could give it a try to find out for sure. I would leave earlier the first time though, just in case it's not quicker.

You could take a look on sigalert.com at her times of travel to get a better idea.

Caltrans seems to be trying to link the HOV sections between Westwood and LAX. That'll be a huge difference.