Here comes L.A.’s big sports weekend

Get ready, L.A., they're rolling straight toward us. Photo/Amgen Tour of California

You may have heard that this weekend will be “Sportsageddon”—the latest end-of-times-themed Los Angeles traffic snarl, spawned this time by a confluence of marquee sporting events. While much of the focus has been on downtown near Staples Center, motorists in other parts of the city should prepare for another obstacle on Sunday, May 20—the final stage of the 44-mile Amgen Tour of California professional bike race.

The race stage begins on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills at 9:30 a.m., and will travel east through the city before finishing at L.A. Live at about noon—just in time for the L.A. Kings playoff game at the Staples Center, to be followed later by the Clippers game. (Oh, and there’s a Dodgers game at the stadium on Sunday, too.)

Rolling street closures will accompany the bikes along the way—including the closure of Hollywood Boulevard.

This detailed map shows the route and times of expected closures, and you can also keep up with closures and traffic conditions in “real time” with the Los Angeles Department of Transportation’s traffic information site.

Meanwhile, amateur cycling enthusiasts who want to plunge into the spirit of the race will be allowed to ride open streets downtown before the pros arrive, from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Sunday. The downtown circuit falls into Segment 6 of the race, with closures on parts of Hill Street, Olive Street, Olympic Boulevard, Pico Boulevard and 11^th Street in the area between Pico and Temple. If you’d like to pedal the five-mile circuit, there is still time to sign up and join in.

Those who want to be part of the fun, but don’t want to brave the traffic, should plan their trip with Metro. The agency’s blog, The Source, has specific advice on how to use transit to avoid the closures.

Posted 5/17/12