4th Street Freeway to Lessen Impact of Afternoon Teachers March
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Teachers union UTLA will be holding a "Fight Back March and Rally" this afternoon that will be sure to disrupt Downtown traffic, but the route's use of the 4th Street Freeway should lessen the march's impact on those working in the Financial District.
The march, staged in opposition to possible education cuts in the state budget, will begin at LAUSD's Beaudry street headquarters before heading east to Pershing Square and then on to the Ronald Reagan State Building on Spring street.
With marchers heading across Downtown at 4pm, the procession would seem to have a great impact on Downtown traffic. While certainly drivers in the Historic Core and Civic Center will be disrupted, the march's use of 4th street should dramatically lessen the effect on Downtown's office workers.
The "4th Street Freeway," opened in 1956, takes 4th street over and under Downtown, with no grade crossings from Beaudry to Olive. The route passes above the 110 freeway, Figueroa and Flower, then under Hope and Grand. While ramps to 4th will be closed, all of those roads will remain open.
Olive will bear the brunt of the closure, with traffic stopped between 6th and 1st. Hill street will see a closure from 3rd to 6th, while Broadway and Spring will be shut down between 3rd and 5th. Westbound 5th street will be closed at Spring, while 6th street will remain open.
The march is scheduled to depart Beaudry at 4pm, staging a rally at Pershing Square before moving on to the State Building at 5:30pm.
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bromike666 on January 29, 2009, at 09:30AM – #1
When do we start talking about the cut backs to our representatives pay, staff, travel expense, security and auto allowances? You created the mess so you can cut back and help clean up the mess. On the flip side I want to ask the teachers union a question. How many of these idiots running the state did you support?
If I ran my business like our elected officials run our state/city I'd be in jail. Shame on all of you.
David Kennedy on January 29, 2009, at 12:08PM – #2
I like bro's idea. I always thought it would make for a good proposition. When the legislature fails to pass a budget when there are supposed to, their pay and office expenses are halted. That ought to get their attention and stop this nonsense. This fiscal trainwreck the legislature is orchestrating is getting scary.
Doris Gebelein on January 29, 2009, at 05:13PM – #3
Fantastic. Wish I would have known about this earlier....traffic is going to be REALLY bad....
gkam on January 29, 2009, at 09:49PM – #4
i wish i HAD known about it beforehand. it took 30 minutes just to go about half a mile!! but the cause was a worthy one and my el taurino burrito was that much more savory when i got to it...