Beverly Hills to the west Valley at rush hour -- which way should I go?

Question

I've recently undertaken a ridiculous school/work schedule that requires me to drive from Beverly Hills to Northridge right around 4 or 5 every day. It's making me crazy!

I've been taking the 405, and I took Sepulveda a couple times. Once Sepulveda was great, but once it was TERRIBLE so that kind of made me nervous. Anyone have any tips or routes ro recommend?

Answer 1

I lived there a long time ago, take cold canyon to riverside dr anf go from there, It was one of those canyon rds, sorry if I don't remember the name

Answer 2

Getting on the freeway at that hour is terrible, I know. The 405 is terrible everyday and surrounding surface streets aren't much better.

You could drive into LA a bit and catch the 101 if online traffic reports show the 405 as being particularly bad. That way you can bypass the Sepulveda Pass. Be advised, though, that the 101 can be just as bad, if not worse, in the afternoon at about that time.

As an alternative to driving, you could try using public transportation. You could drive and park at Union Station (parking is not free, though) or the Glendale Metrolink Station or Burbank Metrolink Station (both free parking), and take the Metrolink Ventura County Line train to Northridge. From there, you could catch a Metro bus that would take you to your destination. Alternatively, you could take a Metro bus from Beverly Hills to one of the stations then get on board the Metrolink there. That would save you from all driving.

You can find out about bus lines and stops at www.mta.net and train lines and stops at www.metrolinktrains.com. The Metro trip planner should be a big help.

I've taken both Metro buses and the Metrolink many times, and I highly recommend both. If you're interested, send me an E-Mail, and I'll do everything that I can to help you.

Answer 3

Depends...

Check for sig alerts (see link below), and then only take the 405 if it's clear. If not, take Sepulveda.

And if possible, carpool. Not only will you help out the environment, but you'll also save money and save yourself a headache by letting someone else drive. Many schools have carpool programs set up -- it would be worth asking about.