You might notice some some new signage on a stretch of the 134 Freeway. Reflective plastic lettering backed by that familiar green now proclaims you're driving on the "President Barack H. Obama Highway."
The 44th president's name christens the route from the 210 Freeway in Pasadena to State Route 2 in Glendale.
Obama moved to Southern California in August 1979 and lived in Pasadena for most of that time while attending Occidental College in Eagle Rock. He transferred to New York's Columbia University in 1981.
This presidential tribute is a couple years in the making. State Sen. Anthony Portantinointroduced it as a motion in December 2016 and it was signed into law in September 2017.
"The President has often mentioned his fond memories of living in Pasadena and attending Occidental College, so it was very appropriate to name the portion of the freeway he travelled after him," Portantino said in a statement.
So the next time you find yourself stuck in traffic overlooking Eagle Rock with the Los Angeles skyline in the distance, you can say "thanks, Obama" and it'll work on some level.
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