May Day Logistics Guide: Marches, Rallies, Traffic, Transit

()

Photo by Tom Andrews/LAist

Whether you are attending a rally or just going to work, using Metrolink or Metro Rail (Red, Blue, Gold) are your best option for entering downtown, but expect more crowded than usual trains. Below, you will find information on the Marches, Traffic/Street Closures, Metro, DASH and Commuter Express.

Marches & Rallies
Sources: Downtown Center BID (via e-mail), blogdowntown, LADOT Map (pdf), LADOT ASTAC

The first three marches listed here will come together at Broadway and 5th Street and continue north to the rally area on Broadway between 1st and Temple. The rally is expected to last several hours with an estimated end time of 8:00 p.m.:

• May 1st Day of Action in Support of Workers: Assemble: 11:00 a.m. at MacArthur Park | Starts: 2:00 p.m. | Expected Attendance: 3,000 - 5,000 | Route: East on 7th, North on Figueroa, East on 5th, North on Broadway.
  
• Full Rights for Immigrants Assemble: 11:00 a.m. at Olympic and Broadway | Starts 3:00 p.m. | Expected Attendance: 25,000 | Route: North on Broadway, East on First, North on Spring to City Hall
  
• Immigrants Right March: Assemble: 11:00 a.m. at Olympic and Broadway | Starts 3:00 p.m. | Expected Attendance: 100,000 | Route: North on Broadway
  
• Legalize LA: Assemble: Unknown Time at American Apparel factory on 7th between Alameda and Central | Starts at 3:00 p.m. | Expected Attendance: Unknown | Route: "While that website says the route will be down 7th and then north on Broadway, the city's info has the route north on Central, and then west on 5th," according to Eric Richardson at blogdowntown. LADOT says due to the "addition of a fourth march, downtown Los Angeles traffic will be severely impacted during the pm peak hours within the quadrants of Broadway from Pico Boulevard to Temple Street and 5th Street between Alameda Street and Figueroa Street."

Note: Both websites for the two marches beginning at Olympic and Broadway state they will begin at 2:00 p.m., but the city publishes 3:00 p.m.Visual? Daily News Google Maps the routes and areas.

()

Traffic & Street Closures Downtown Los Angeles area motorists, commuters and DASH/Commuter Express customers will be tremendously affected by the Marches and Rally. Here's is what to prepare yourself for:

• Stay Flexible. Route changes will be taking place throughout the day. Since the numbers of participants and the areas where protesters may join a march is unknown, some of the routing impacts will be short- term while others will last throughout the day.
• Street closures and severely impacted traffic flow are expected within the area bounded by Cesar Chavez Avenue to the north, Alameda Street to the east, Pico Boulevard to the south and Hoover Street to the west.

DASH Downtown Routes

• DASH Route A: No service on First Street between Main and Hill Streets after 10:00 A.M. No service on Route A at all after 2:00 P.M.
• DASH Route B: No service toward Financial District starting from 5th and Flower Streets to 7th and Flower Streets from 2:00 P.M. to 4:30 P.M. No service toward Chinatown starting from 7th and Flower Streets to 5th Street and Grand Avenue from 2:00 P.M. to 4:30 P.M.
• DASH Route C: No service on 7th and Flower Streets from 2:00 P.M. to 4:30 P.M.
• DASH Route D: No service on Main Street and Spring Street between 12th and Temple Streets from 10:00 A.M. until 4:30 P.M. Service will be rerouted to Los Angeles Street during this time.
• DASH Route E: No service on 7th Street between Main and Witmer Streets from 2:00 P.M. until 4:30 P.M.
• DASH Route F: No service to Beaudry Avenue and Figueroa Street between 3rd and 9th Streets from 2:00 P.M. until 4:30 P.M.
• City Hall Shuttle: No service on First Street between Main and Hill Streets after 10:00 A.M. No service on City Hall Shuttle at all after 2:00 P.M.

()

Metro Metro plans to run regular Metro Bus and Metro Rail service on Thursday, May 1.

• Metro Bus service operating on Broadway in downtown Los Angeles will be interrupted by the march from approximately 2 p.m. through late afternoon, Thursday, May 1
• Metro Buses scheduled to operate on Broadway will be diverted to either Main and Los Angeles streets to the east or Grand and Olive streets to the west. Those Metro Bus Lines operating on Broadway that will experience some service delays include: Lines 2, 4, 30, 31, 40, 42, 45, 46, 740 and 745. All bus lines that normally cross Broadway between 1st Street and Olympic Blvd. will also experience service delays.
• As a result of the multiple marches converging on the Central Business District from different directions, there will be periods during the afternoon when buses, along with all other vehicular traffic, will not be allowed to operate across some intersections along the detour routes. When this occurs, Metro Bus Operators will be required to stop in a safe location, open the doors to allow passengers to alight, and wait for the marchers to pass the location. Los Angeles Department of Transportation Traffic Engineers will reopen the intersections behind the marchers as soon as it is safe to do so.

Commuter Express RoutesAll Commuter Express routes will operate as close to a normal schedule as possible. It is anticipated however, that there will be significant congestion and slowdowns, especially in the late afternoon that may affect passenger pick-ups by Commuter Express buses. Delays and other changes, including stops not being served or served intermittently due to street closures are to be expected. Route #534 will be re-routed to Temple St. with stops at Grand St., Hill St., Broadway and Main St.

Orange County
Up to 6,000 people are estimated to march in Santa Ana for an event "scheduled for 3 p.m. at the Civic Center... Traffic will be rerouted starting at 10 a.m. to prepare for the rallies and afternoon march," according to The Issue Blog at the OC Register.

Photos: Top two photos by Tom Andrews/LAist. Bottom photo by ~db~ via LAist Featured Photos