hourly basis. The weekend closure would be mimicked almost exactly a year later, during the summer of 2012, in order to do more roadwork.
The lead‐up to “Carmageddon” was feverish: then‐Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa urged residents to get out of town, or at least to stay off the roads; billboards were posted up all over the city letting Angelenos know about the coming closure; radio statements were made by all the major radio personalities; one airline offered four‐dollar plane rides from Los Angeles to Orange County; bike groups sponsored cross‐city excursions; helicopter companies offered half‐hour long discounted rides to see the construction in action from the air; and local bars and restaurants offered “Carmageddon” specials, which included special dishes and discounts on food and drink. The Los Angeles Police Department was brought in to ensure drivers did not sneak onto the freeway or onto Sepulveda.
In both the San Fernando Valley and the west side of Los Angeles, residents were interviewed and questioned about their experience of “Carmaggedon” and what their plans were for the weekend.
“I’m just going to take the Mayor’s advice and get out of town!” a man living in Sherman Oaks told reporters. He was planning on going to Las Vegas for the weekend, to soak up some sun and do some gambling.
“The mayor did local business a real disservice, by making that statement,” T. Donovan, an employee at a popular cheese and charcuterie store in the Valley, told reporters, shaking his head. “This could have been a really great opportunity to jumpstart community and neighborhood spirits.” His store was offering a “Carmaggedon” sandwich, which included ingredients sourced from farms west of the Los Angeles city center and away from the Sepulveda Pass.
Because of the furor leading up to the weekend, the lack of tension shocked many people when the closure actually occurred. People weren’t even driving on freeways and streets unaffected by the closure. The streets were, for once, close to empty and free from traffic. In a