President Biden arrived in Los Angeles early Saturday for a star-studded fundraiser that is expected to break a record, raising more than $28 million from thousands of supporters, but gridlock could mean even more Angelenos will be impacted by the president’s visit.
The rally, which will include former President Barack Obama, actors George Clooney and Julia Roberts and other celebrities, is scheduled to take place Saturday night at the Peacock Theatre in downtown Los Angeles, with at least one protest planned for outside.
Roads and parking in the area, including near the LA Live entertainment complex where the theater is located, will be closed at times, causing heavy traffic congestion. Additionally, it is unclear where Biden, First Lady Jill Biden and Obama will stay during their visit to Los Angeles, but highway closures are expected as their motorcade travels through the city.
Los Angeles traffic and police officials referred questions about the road closures to the U.S. Secret Service, which declined to provide details but warned of possible traffic jams.
“The U.S. Secret Service works closely with local law enforcement to minimize disruptions to the public while ensuring the highest level of safety and security,” said Secret Service spokesperson Melissa McKenzie. “For security reasons, we cannot announce the specific route of the motorcade in advance, but please be aware that there will be intermittent road closures and parking restrictions in place throughout the visit.”
A spokesman for the Los Angeles Department of Transportation was more blunt.
“Travelers should expect delays in the downtown area and plan accordingly,” spokesman Collin M. Sweeney said.
Nothing is scheduled for Saturday at Crypto.com Arena, located next door to the Peacock Theatre, but the Dodgers are scheduled to play the Kansas City Royals at Dodger Stadium a few miles away, starting at 6:10 p.m.
The Federal Aviation Administration has restricted “VIP travel” airspace over a wide area of the region to pilots other than the presidential aircraft, passenger, cargo, military, law enforcement and air ambulance aircraft from 4:45 a.m. Saturday through 3 p.m. Sunday.
Given the massive security resources required to protect the leader of the free world, it’s not surprising that presidential visits create traffic jams, especially when the president isn’t in a secure location like the White House or an event venue that has been thoroughly vetted in advance.
But Los Angeles is also legendary for the traffic jams that followed – traffic was so bad under the Obama administration that the terms “Obama traffic jams” and “Obamageddon” entered local slang.
“Mr. President, I elected you to the White House, not the 405,” one critic wrote on Twitter when Obama visited Los Angeles to raise funds at George Clooney’s Studio City home in 2012. “There are other times outside of rush hour when you can visit LA.”
President Obama’s entourage has apparently learned from this experience and is increasingly using helicopters to transport the president around the city in order to reduce road and highway closures.
Biden has also caused traffic jams during his visits to the region, including one that shut down part of the 405 Freeway during the weekday evening rush hour in February when the president traveled from Century City to media mogul Haim Saban’s sprawling Beverly Park mansion for a fundraiser.