Nija
02-07-2005, 08:27 PM
http://www.a-1courier.com/lashortcuts.htm
Century City to Downtown Los Angeles
It's not worth getting on the freeway for this one. By the time you get on the 10 Freeway at either Manning, Overland or Robertson, you could have already made a dent in the route by just taking Olympic Blvd.
West Los Angeles to Downtown Santa Monica
The quickest way a messenger will go is to take advantage of the Santa Monica Freeway and enter the 10 West off Centinela, between Olympic & Pico Boulevards.
Exit at 5th Street instead of 4th. It's quicker because you avoid an extra light
as well as traffic next to Santa Monica Place.
West Hollywood to the Santa Monica Freeway
If you're going eastbound this is great, and if you plan on taking the Santa Monica Freeway West, it's not bad either. Take advantage of San Vicente Blvd. (it goes Southeast), and then turn right on Crenshaw till you get to the Santa Monica Freeway.
Santa Monica to Marina del Rey
Our couriers love to take 11th Street south till it ends at Marine, where you turn
right. Then you take a left on Lincoln and end up bypassing some terrible Lincoln
Blvd. traffic, and seven minutes later you're in Marina del Rey.
Santa Monica to Sherman Oaks
If it's 2 AM, don't do this. In fact this is only good if you're in the northern part of Santa Monica and you anticipate traffic congestion. Find your way to Montana Avenue, go left on Westgate and right on Sunset. From there, start hoping that the 405 North is moving. Some of our couriers like to pass the 405 on Sunset and get a view of how it looks. If it's bad, they do a legal U-Turn in about 150 yards, and then take Supulveda.
San Fernando Valley to Santa Monica
If you're starting off in Woodland Hills, or even Tarzana, you should take Topanga Canyon Blvd south and turn left on the Pacific Coast Highway. From there you can
go up the "California Incline" or stay on P.C.H. until it turns into the 10 Freeway, at which point you can exit at Lincoln Blvd (If the downtown area of Santa Monica is where you're heading. Also, this route is a good idea if you're starting in Canoga
Park or even Chatsworth.
San Fernando Valley to Westwood & Century City
The obvious choice is the 405 Freeway, but you probably know how problematic that can be when you get towards Sunset Blvd. -- no matter what time of day. To avoid this jam up, it might be a good idea to take the 405 part of the way, and get off at Getty Center Drive where you can then take Sepulveda towards Westwood. If you're proceeding to Century City, turn left on Wilshire and right on Beverly Glen, then left onto Santa Monica Blvd.
Hollywood, from East to West
Franklin Avenue is a great way for couriers to get a quick start to the western area of Hollywood, or to West Hollywood. Take Franklin west, go south on La Brea, right on Hollywood Blvd, left on Laurel Ave, right on Fountain and then you're at La Cienega.
Hollywood to the Santa Monica Freeway
Crescent Heights Blvd., is the answer. It's a popular route for everyone, couriers included, but at least there's no businesses clogging it up, like there are on La Brea, Fairfax or La Cienega. Take Crescent Heights south and turn right on Guthrie Ave, and then left on La Cienega, then follow the signs to the Santa Monica Freeway.
Hollywood to Glendale
Our couriers take Franklin Ave. and then turn left on Serrano Ave, right on Los Feliz all the way to Glendale Ave, where you turn Left.
Hollywood towards Studio City
If you're coming north from Hollywood on Laurel Canyon, and you need to go east on Ventura Blvd., try turning right onto Sunshine Terrace, just before Ventura Blvd. It's a great way to avoid cruising traffic on the Blvd., when you're in a rush.
Mar Vista or West L.A. to UCLA
Our couriers take Veteran Avenue all the way past Wilshire Boulevard and then turn right on Le Conte Avenue. This is a tip our couriers were hesitant to give up.
Downtown Los Angeles to Hollywood
Go west on 8th Street and pass over the Harbor Freeway and make a right on Hoover and another right on to Rampart Blvd, which you will then take to the Hollywood Freeway.
Beverly Hills to West Hollywood
If you're at Olympic and Beverwil, go south on Beverwil, then turn left on Whitworth Dr. Go east till you get to either Fairfax or La Cienega Blvd. It's a short cut in the truest sense, but it gets you from Beverly Hills to West Hollywood fast.
West Hollywood to Beverly Hills
Assuming you're near the Beverly Center at 3rd Street and La Cienega, go west on
Burton Way (it intersects with La Cienega and is just south of 3rd St.). It will
turn into "Little Santa Monica Blvd"., in Beverly Hills. From there you can continue towards Century City as well.
Beverly Hills to Hollywood
Victoria sends us this great tip, "My most useful shortcut in getting from Beverly Hills to Hollywood without getting caught up in Sunset traffic is to take Holloway to La Cienega, and then cut up to Fountain, which then runs parallel to Sunset to La Brea. (It's the west-of-La-Brea version of the Franklin shortcut through Hollywood.) Fountain is almost always faster than Sunset. When it isn't, you can just pop up to Sunset again quite easily."
How to avoid time consuming left turns
Our couriers never wait in line to turn left in Los Angeles. What a smart messenger does is quickly determine if they can turn left without having to wait for another light. If you can't make the light, you should see if you could turn into a parking lot ahead of the intersection, on the right. (Our couriers are in a rush...) If you can, enter the lot and then exit towards your destination. Don't forget to look at all the people still waiting in the left hand turn lane wondering how you got in front of them. This is a great shortcut for messengers...and you too!
----------------------
Not trying to promote this company (because I've honestly never heard of them) but I thought this might help for those that need to get around.
Century City to Downtown Los Angeles
It's not worth getting on the freeway for this one. By the time you get on the 10 Freeway at either Manning, Overland or Robertson, you could have already made a dent in the route by just taking Olympic Blvd.
West Los Angeles to Downtown Santa Monica
The quickest way a messenger will go is to take advantage of the Santa Monica Freeway and enter the 10 West off Centinela, between Olympic & Pico Boulevards.
Exit at 5th Street instead of 4th. It's quicker because you avoid an extra light
as well as traffic next to Santa Monica Place.
West Hollywood to the Santa Monica Freeway
If you're going eastbound this is great, and if you plan on taking the Santa Monica Freeway West, it's not bad either. Take advantage of San Vicente Blvd. (it goes Southeast), and then turn right on Crenshaw till you get to the Santa Monica Freeway.
Santa Monica to Marina del Rey
Our couriers love to take 11th Street south till it ends at Marine, where you turn
right. Then you take a left on Lincoln and end up bypassing some terrible Lincoln
Blvd. traffic, and seven minutes later you're in Marina del Rey.
Santa Monica to Sherman Oaks
If it's 2 AM, don't do this. In fact this is only good if you're in the northern part of Santa Monica and you anticipate traffic congestion. Find your way to Montana Avenue, go left on Westgate and right on Sunset. From there, start hoping that the 405 North is moving. Some of our couriers like to pass the 405 on Sunset and get a view of how it looks. If it's bad, they do a legal U-Turn in about 150 yards, and then take Supulveda.
San Fernando Valley to Santa Monica
If you're starting off in Woodland Hills, or even Tarzana, you should take Topanga Canyon Blvd south and turn left on the Pacific Coast Highway. From there you can
go up the "California Incline" or stay on P.C.H. until it turns into the 10 Freeway, at which point you can exit at Lincoln Blvd (If the downtown area of Santa Monica is where you're heading. Also, this route is a good idea if you're starting in Canoga
Park or even Chatsworth.
San Fernando Valley to Westwood & Century City
The obvious choice is the 405 Freeway, but you probably know how problematic that can be when you get towards Sunset Blvd. -- no matter what time of day. To avoid this jam up, it might be a good idea to take the 405 part of the way, and get off at Getty Center Drive where you can then take Sepulveda towards Westwood. If you're proceeding to Century City, turn left on Wilshire and right on Beverly Glen, then left onto Santa Monica Blvd.
Hollywood, from East to West
Franklin Avenue is a great way for couriers to get a quick start to the western area of Hollywood, or to West Hollywood. Take Franklin west, go south on La Brea, right on Hollywood Blvd, left on Laurel Ave, right on Fountain and then you're at La Cienega.
Hollywood to the Santa Monica Freeway
Crescent Heights Blvd., is the answer. It's a popular route for everyone, couriers included, but at least there's no businesses clogging it up, like there are on La Brea, Fairfax or La Cienega. Take Crescent Heights south and turn right on Guthrie Ave, and then left on La Cienega, then follow the signs to the Santa Monica Freeway.
Hollywood to Glendale
Our couriers take Franklin Ave. and then turn left on Serrano Ave, right on Los Feliz all the way to Glendale Ave, where you turn Left.
Hollywood towards Studio City
If you're coming north from Hollywood on Laurel Canyon, and you need to go east on Ventura Blvd., try turning right onto Sunshine Terrace, just before Ventura Blvd. It's a great way to avoid cruising traffic on the Blvd., when you're in a rush.
Mar Vista or West L.A. to UCLA
Our couriers take Veteran Avenue all the way past Wilshire Boulevard and then turn right on Le Conte Avenue. This is a tip our couriers were hesitant to give up.
Downtown Los Angeles to Hollywood
Go west on 8th Street and pass over the Harbor Freeway and make a right on Hoover and another right on to Rampart Blvd, which you will then take to the Hollywood Freeway.
Beverly Hills to West Hollywood
If you're at Olympic and Beverwil, go south on Beverwil, then turn left on Whitworth Dr. Go east till you get to either Fairfax or La Cienega Blvd. It's a short cut in the truest sense, but it gets you from Beverly Hills to West Hollywood fast.
West Hollywood to Beverly Hills
Assuming you're near the Beverly Center at 3rd Street and La Cienega, go west on
Burton Way (it intersects with La Cienega and is just south of 3rd St.). It will
turn into "Little Santa Monica Blvd"., in Beverly Hills. From there you can continue towards Century City as well.
Beverly Hills to Hollywood
Victoria sends us this great tip, "My most useful shortcut in getting from Beverly Hills to Hollywood without getting caught up in Sunset traffic is to take Holloway to La Cienega, and then cut up to Fountain, which then runs parallel to Sunset to La Brea. (It's the west-of-La-Brea version of the Franklin shortcut through Hollywood.) Fountain is almost always faster than Sunset. When it isn't, you can just pop up to Sunset again quite easily."
How to avoid time consuming left turns
Our couriers never wait in line to turn left in Los Angeles. What a smart messenger does is quickly determine if they can turn left without having to wait for another light. If you can't make the light, you should see if you could turn into a parking lot ahead of the intersection, on the right. (Our couriers are in a rush...) If you can, enter the lot and then exit towards your destination. Don't forget to look at all the people still waiting in the left hand turn lane wondering how you got in front of them. This is a great shortcut for messengers...and you too!
----------------------
Not trying to promote this company (because I've honestly never heard of them) but I thought this might help for those that need to get around.