No Traffic Issues for Obama Visit

Westside residents were bracing for the president's arrival on Sunday.

The traffic that Westside residents feared did not materialize on Sunday as a star-studded visit by President Barack Obama went smoothly, said the California Highway Patrol, which handled the Presidential escort.

The President arrived at LAX at 1:10 p.m. Sunday and Obama quickly transferred to Marine One, the presidential helicopter. It landed at 1:35 p.m. at Rancho Park. Then a presidential motorcade headed to a no-media-allowed event home in the hills above Sunset Boulevard.

That event, at the Beverly Hills home of DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg, was described by campaign press secretary Jennifer Psaki as "a thank you event for a small group of donors" who had either previously donated the maximum amount to Obama's re-election effort "or contributed a high amount."

About a dozen people were expected to hear from Obama and Clinton at the event, Psaki said.

After a brief period in Beverly Hills, Obama and Clooney will motorcade across L.A. to a "30 Days to Victory" concert at the Nokia Theatre at the L.A. Live entertainment complex in downtown Los Angeles.

Jon Bon Jovi, Earth, Wind and Fire, Jennifer Hudson, Katy Perry and Stevie Wonder are scheduled to perform.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and San Antonio, Texas Mayor Julian Castro, the keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention, also are scheduled to speak to about 6,000 people.

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Tickets ranged from $44 to $2,500. Following the concert, Obama will speak to about 150 guests at a $25,000 per person fundraising dinner at WP24 by Wolfgang Puck, an eatery on the 24th floor of the Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles at L.A. Live.

Proceeds from the fundraisers will go to the Obama Victory Fund, a joint fundraising committee of Obama for America, the Democratic National Committee and several state Democratic parties. The trip is Obama's 12th to the Los Angeles area since taking office, the ninth solely for political fundraising.

He has spoken at political fundraisers during all but this was his first visit to the region as president. Obama is scheduled to leave Los Angeles Monday morning, bound for the small town of Keene in Kern County, where he will announce the establishment of the Cesar E. Chavez National Monument.

The following streets may experience temporary closures, LAPD said, though closures and routes are subject to change. A map of the closures is below.

From 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Sunday:

  • Pico Boulevard between Overland Avenue and Beverly Drive
  • Avenue of the Stars between Olympic and Sunset boulevards
  • Sunset Boulevard between Beverly Glen Boulevard and Doheny Drive

From 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday:

  • Sunset Boulevard between Beverly Glen Boulevard and Doheny Drive
  • North Whittier Drive between Sunset and Santa Monica boulevards

From 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday:

  • Avenue of the Stars between Wilshire and Pico boulevards
  • Motor Avenue between Pico Boulevard and the Santa Monica (10) Freeway
  • Streets around LA Live

From 9:30 to 11:30 p.m. Sunday:

  • Motor Avenue between National and Pico boulevards
  • Avenue of the Stars between Pico and Santa Monica boulevards

7 to 9 a.m. Monday:

  • Avenue of the Stars between Pico and Santa Monica boulevards

Motorists are encouraged to plan to avoid those areas when traffic may halted for the president’s motorcade.

NOTE: Some intersections provided by LAPD include streets that don't intersect.


View Obamajam guide in a larger map

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