LA Traffic Expert: Holiday Traffic Helper - July 4th Weekend

Gain a little more piece of mind getting out of LA this weekend…

Every holiday weekend, there’s some national study that comes out that cites we’ll be sitting in traffic 2-3 times heavier than usual.  But that’s all it is – a study.  Instead, I offer a bit of USEFUL information for your drive in Southern California, whether you’re headed to the desert or mountains to visit family, or out of state to Vegas or “the River” for a getaway.

July 4^th weekend ranks among the top getaway holidays, perhaps only second to Thanksgiving weekend, which is usually only worse because Socal’s rainy season is unofficially underway then.  Summer time (in “traffic terms.” The time between Memorial Day and Labor Day) usually sees lighter volume on Socal freeways because of vacationing students as well as workers, so that is one plus.

This year, July 4^th falls on a Saturday.  Generally, on holiday weekends, when the holiday is on a Monday (Memorial Day, Labor Day), Thursday becomes the “prime” traffic day to leave town, often creating traffic patterns worse than those found on a “typical” Friday.  Since this year’s holiday is on Saturday, it is a fair assumption that the peak traffic day will be Wednesday.

Typical Friday Afternoon Drive traffic patterns on Los Angeles/Ventura County Freeways (courtesy Google maps)

This map shows the typical traffic patterns in Southern California on a Friday afternoon.  While it appears as if things can’t get worse (there is SO much red!), on “holiday traffic” days, the actual quanitified delay can be more that twice as long.  Instead of average speeds of 10-15 mph (that’s what the dark red stands for), you can expect average speeds of 5-10 mph in many places.

In case you are geographically or spatially challenged, I have broken down each area and freeway so that you can get a better idea of how long the drive will take you.  If you need to leave on Wednesday, bring your favorite audio book or game to play with your kids in the car while driving.  While a safe alternative might be to leave Thursday or Friday, you’ll still be sitting in a fair amount of traffic then too.

Listed below are the approximate heaviest traffic spots on each freeway, with approximate drive times (normal drive, typical traffic drive, holiday drive – respectively):

(Key – NB/Northbound, SB/Southbound, EB/Eastbound, WB/Westbound)

“Outbound Drives “ – Los Angeles/Ventura County

• 101 (Ventura Freeway) – NB (WB) from 23 to Johnson Dr – 30 mins, 55 mins, 85 mins.
• 405 (San Diego Freeway) – NB from LAX to 101 – 20 mins, 60 mins, 90 mins.
• 405 (San Diego Freeway) – NB from 405 to 5 – 5 mins, 20 mins, 40 mins.
  5 (Golden State Freeway) – NB from San Fernando Mission Bl to 14 – 10 mins, 25 mins, 45 mins.
• 5 (Golden State Freeway) – NB from 10/60/101 (East LA Interchange) to 118 – 25 mins, 50 mins, 80 mins.
• 405 (San Diego Freeway) – SB from 101 to LAX – 15 mins, 45 mins, 90 mins.
• 405 (San Diego Freeway) – SB from 105 to 710 – 20 mins, 40 mins, 60 mins.
• 101 (Ventura Freeway) – EB/WB between Parkway Calabasas and 170/134 – 30 mins, 60 mins, 80 mins.
• 10 (Santa Monica Freeway) – EB/WB between 405 and 10/60/5/101 (East LA Interchange) – 20 mins, 45 mins, 70 mins.
• 210 (Foothill Freeway) – EB from 134 to 57 – 25 mins, 60 mins, 90 mins. (NB 605 bunches up approaching the 210 merge as well)
• 10 (San Bernardino Freeway) – EB from 710 to 57 – 20 mins, 45 mins, 80 mins.
• 60 (Pomona Freeway) – EB from 5 to 57 – 30 mins, 60 mins, 90 mins.
• 101 (Hollywood Freeway) – NB/SB between 134/170 and 110 – 15 mins, 40 mins, 70 mins.
• 5 (Santa Ana Freeway) – NB/SB between 10/60/101 (East La Interchange) and Valley View Av – 20 mins, 45 mins, 80 mins.
• 105 (Glenn Anderson Fwy) – EB from Crenshaw to 605 – 15 mins, 30 mins, 50 mins.
• 91 (Gardena/Artesia Fwy) – EB from 110 to 605 – 15 mins, 35 mins, 55 mins.  
• 605 (San Gabriel River Fwy) - NB/SB between 60 and 105 - 15 mins, 35 mins, 50 mins. 
• 710 (Long Beach Fwy) - SB from 5 to 105 - 5 mins, 15 mins, 25 mins.

Typical Friday afternoon traffic patterns - Orange County/Inland Empire (courtesy Google Maps)

"Outbound" Drives - Orange County/Inland Empire (San Bernardino/Riverside Counties)

• 57 (Orange Fwy) NB from 91 to 60 - 15 mins, 45 mins, 90 mins.
• 55 (Costa Mesa Fwy) NB from 405 to 22 - 10 mins, 25 mins, 40 mins
• 91 (Riverside Fwy) EB from 57 to 15 - 25 mins, 75 mins, 120 mins.
• 405 (San Diego Fwy) NB from Jamboree to Brookhurst - 15 mins, 30 mins, 45 mins.
• 5 (Santa Ana Fwy) NB from Culver Dr to 22 - 15 mins, 35 mins, 50 mins.
• 5 (San Diego Fwy) NB from 405 merge (El Toro Y) to Oso Pkwy - 5 mins, 20 mins, 30 mins.
• 5 (San Diego Fwy) SB from PCH (Dana Point) to Camp Pendleton - 30 mins, 60 mins, 80 mins.
• 15 (Ontario Fwy) NB from 210 to 138 - 20 mins, 45 mins, 90 mins.
• 15 (Ontario Fwy) SB from 10 to 15 - 15 mins, 30 mins, 45 mins.
• 15 (Ontario Fwy) SB from 91 to Weirick Rd - 10 mins, 20 mins, 30 mins.
• 215 NB/SB between 60 and 10 - 10 mins, 25 mins, 35 mins
• 10 (San Bernardino Fwy) EB from 57 to 215 - 25 mins, 45 mins, 70 mins
• 60 (Pomona Fwy) EB from 57 to 15 - 15 mins, 35 mins, 50 mins
• 60 (Pomona Fwy) EB from Rubidoux to 215 (Moreno Valley) - 15 mins, 30 mins, 45 mins.

"Outbound" Drives - Deserts and Inland Valleys (Kern/San Bernardino/Santa Barbara Counties)

• 101 NB from Bates Rd (Carpinteria) to Downtown Santa Barbara - 20 mins, 40 mins, 55 mins.
• 58 EB approaching Kramer Junction (Hwy 395 - stop light) - usually no delay, up to 5 mile delay on holidays
• 15 NB - between 58 (Barstow) and 247 (Baker) - 70 mins, 100 mins, 120 mins.
• 15 NB - between 247 (Baker) and Primm (Stateline/NV) - 60 mins, 90 mins, 120 mins.

RETURNING drives - 

Since July 4th falls on a Saturday this year, returning traffic may likely build up on Sunday.  Approximate travel times below are normal traffic, Sunday traffic patterns, and "holiday" Sunday traffic patterns, respectively:

• 101 SB from Downtown Santa Barbara to 126 (Ventura) - 60 mins, 90 mins, 120 mins.
• 5 SB from 126 to 14 (Newhall Pass) - 15 mins, 30 mins, 45 mins.
• 15 SB from Stateline to Baker - 60 mins, 90 mins, 140 mins (often traffic is exacerbated, but not caused by the Agricultural Inspection station about 25 miles outside of Barstow)
• 15 SB from Baker to 58 (Barstow) - 75 mins, 100 mins, 130 mins.
• 10 WB from Banning City limits to 60 split - 20 mins, 40 mins, 60 mins.
• 5 NB from Oceanside City limits through Camp Pendleton - 30 mins, 60 mins, 90 mins.
• 91 WB from 15 to Coal Cyn - 10 mins, 30 mins, 60 mins.

This article brought to you by SoCalTraffic Expert, Randy Keith
Randy Keith has 10 years of traffic reporting experience from the air and studio.
Please send comments/feedback/corrections to westcoastpianoman@yahoo.com

http://facebook.com/SocalTraffic

Los Angeles Traffic Reports: Socal Traffic Expert details LA's Radio Stations

While every major city has radio traffic reports, it is Los Angeles that seems to personify the image of the “traffic helicopter,” particularly thanks to the slew of televised “police” chases in the last few decades. 

Most Angelenos’ first reaction when hitting unexpected traffic is to tune to their favorite news station.  Each one has (with few exceptions) had relatively the same content format for decades, and no matter how the personality lineup changes, the frequency of traffic reports doesn’t.

Drawn from experience both listening to and reporting on each of these radio stations for over a decade, here are the author’s personal recommendations for each:

·         KNX 1070 AM

·         KFWB 980 AM

·         KFI 640 AM

·         KABC 790 AM

Local stations in surrounding suburban markets provide traffic reports as well.  Many times, these stations are much more reliable for localized information and expertise than the “big” L.A. stations:

·         KHTS 1220 AM (Santa Clarita)

·         KVEN 1450 AM (Ventura/Santa Barbara)

·         KHAY 100.7 FM (Ventura)

·         KFRG 99.9 FM (San Bernardino/Riverside)

·         KHWY 98.1/99.5 FM (Barstow/High Desert)

KNX 1070 AM

·         Radio Station Format: News (24 hours)

·         Geographic Area of Station Signal:  Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Kern, San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego counties

·         Geographic Area of Traffic Report coverage:  Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, San Bernardino, Riverside counties.

·         Frequency of traffic reports: Every 10 minutes, “on the 5s,” :05, :15, :25, :35, :45, :55

·         Exception to regular traffic report programming:  Sunday mornings 5:30am-5:58am, during any re-broadcast of “60 Minutes” or Breaking News

·         Airborne Coverage:  2 drive-time, 1 midday

·         Pros:  Drive-time reporters produce their own reports, usually get information faster than stations that use information fed from a producer’s desk

·         Cons: KNX covers such a large geographic area that it is oftentimes difficult to have a truly comprehensive traffic report.

KNX is always the superior traffic reporting resource.  I don’t say this just because my voice was on their airwaves for nearly 10 years….  I saw in action, both on and off-the-clock, how KNX reports are more accurate than any other station at least 80% of the time.  KNX traffic reporters have some of the most loyal bases of “tipsters” – a term actually coined by KNX in the 80s and stolen by seemingly every broadcast media in the Southland.  Tipsters, eyewitness drivers, usually provide more accurate information than overburdened law enforcement officers, especially when they are regular commuters very familiar with their routes.

KFWB 980 AM

·         Radio Station Format: News/Talk

·         Geographic Area of Station Signal:  Los Angeles, Orange, parts of San Bernardino and Riverside counties

·         Geographic Area of Traffic Report coverage:  Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside counties.

·         Frequency of traffic reports: Every 10 minutes, “on the 1s,” :01, :11, :21, :31, :41, :51

·         Exception to regular traffic report programming:  During Select talk shows

·         Airborne Coverage: 1 drive-time, 1 midday

·         Pros:  KFWB has the weakest signal of all AM-News stations in Los Angeles, so reporters don’t usually bother mentioning freeways outside of their coverage area.  This allows *slightly* more time to devote to pressing incidents “closer to home.”

·         Cons: Reporters (with only the exception of diligent and experienced drive-time reporters) read information fed from a producer’s screen, which can include information up to 30 minutes old.

In the traffic reporting world, KFWB is considered the “neighborhood station.”  KFWB will spend an inordinate amount of time covering a surface street tie-up in Hollywood, when KNX might devote the same amount of time to something similar in Riverside or Redlands. During drive-time with airborne coverage, KFWB reports can be as accurate as any other station.  But any other time of the day (particularly overnights), the traffic reporters do not produce their own reports and therefore leave lots of room for error or outdated information.

KFI 640 AM

·         Radio Station Format: Talk

·         Geographic Area of Station Signal:  Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Kern, San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego counties (entire western U.S. at night)

·         Geographic Area of Traffic Report coverage:  Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego counties.

·         Frequency of traffic reports: 4 times per hour, generally at :01, :15, :31, :45

·         Exception to regular traffic reports: Breaking News

·         Airborne Coverage: None

·         Pros:  KFI has a bigger signal than KNX, as it is the only Los Angeles radio station dedicated as an official “Clear Channel” (not the name of the company by the same name, but the designation from the FCC) 50,000 watt station.  Like KNX, KFI reporters use that latitude to report on places far from Los Angeles but affecting motorists on long drives, like on holidays returning from Santa Barbara and coastal cities, the Grapevine and inland valleys, Las Vegas and the high desert, Palm Springs and the low desert and San Diego.

KFI traffic reporters produce their own reports as well, lending to the accuracy of their information

·         Cons: KFI no longer utilizes airborne services (Mike Nolan, “KFI Eye in the Sky” for decades, was the last before being relegated to the studio for the last few years of his career), so reporters generally have to acquire second-hand information.  Most good reporters are keen on “borrowing” information from other sources, including airborne reporters from other stations.  So chances are the information broadcast on KFI is fairly accurate, though not as frequent as KNX and KFWB.  KFI has advertised itself for decades as the “Talk station” (not “News station”) with the “Most frequent traffic reports.”  Unfortunately, talk radio usually only lends itself to four commercial breaks throughout the hour.

KABC 790 AM

·         Radio Station Format: Talk

·         Geographic Area of Station Signal:  Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, San Bernardino, Riverside counties

·         Geographic Area of Traffic Report coverage:  Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside counties.

·         Frequency of traffic reports: 4-5 times per hour, generally at :06, :21, :31, :45, :59

·         Exception to regular traffic report programming: Breaking News, Sporting Simulcasts

·         Airborne Coverage: 1 drive-time

·         Pros:  KABC has airborne coverage during drive-time, albeit for a small window, only 6-9am and 4-6pm.  Reporters on KABC generally talk more slowly than KNX or KFI reporters, allowing better comprehension of content, but usually only mentions 3 or 4 incidents.

·         Cons: At times other than drive-time, KABC reporters are fed information from producers, so can often be reading about closures that have long since cleared (30 minutes or even hours later).  Even the airborne coverage is limited since there is only one chopper, and rarely does the reporter stay at an incident very long.

  

Stations outside of Greater Los Angeles

that provide Local Traffic

KHTS 1220 AM

·         Radio Station Format: Talk/Music

·         Geographic Area of Station Signal:  Santa Clarita, Antelope Valleys

·         Geographic Area of Traffic Report coverage:  Santa Clarita Valley

·         Frequency of traffic reports: During drivetime, on the “8s:” :08, :18, :28, :38, :48, :58, also during Local Breaking News

·         Airborne Coverage: None

·         Pros:  KHTS is Santa Clarita’s only radio station.  Every once in a while, KNX, KFI and sometimes even KFWB will cover an incident on freeways through Santa Clarita, but rarely ever will they cover surface streets.  KHTS gives dedicated coverage to any incidents, particularly major ones like fires, earthquakes, or major closures, between and including the 5 and 14 freeways in northern Los Angeles County.

How to listen to traffic reports

Most good traffic reports will give a description of an entire typical communte, for example, the 405 from the West side to the San Fernando Valley, 5 from Burbank to OC, 10 from East LA to Pomona.  But in the interest of airtime, detailed descriptions may be impossible and traffic reporters will generally refer to the “typical” slow drive on the 405, which you will better understand when you get familiar with regular traffic patterns as laid out in this guide.

Most often, traffic reports consist of a “laundry list” of incidents, in which the reporter will name all the “trouble spots.”  Good reporters will mention only the most severe spots causing unusual traffic, and will gloss over “minor incidents” that have no bearing on traffic delays.

Once you learn the regular traffic patterns of your typical commutes, you’ll be able to assess whether an “incident” will actually make your commute worse (like a major accident on the 405 in the Sepulveda Pass) or if it can be ignored (like a “Sigalert” on an offramp on a lesser-travelled freeway.

The key thing to remember about a traffic report is that there has to be a lot of information squeezed into a minute, or many times less.  Refer to the individual station guides for the assessment of each.  Also, traffic is always “breaking news” and can change at any moment, no matter how accurate a report is when it is aired.

The only way you know you're getting up-to-the-minute information these days is if you check your Google map.  Even someone who is in an actual helicopter may not be looking at the thing he's talking about (I know I used to do this, check an accident, then report on in 2 minutes later because our plane was running out of fuel! only to find the lanes were closed after I left the scene classic Murphy's Law for an airborne traffic reporter). 

Socal Traffic Expert: 405 and Other LA Freeway Quick Tips

Do you know there is actually a Yelp page for the 405 Freeway?

http://www.yelp.com/biz/405-freeway-los-angeles

Like most online sources of information about LA traffic, there are mostly rants and raves and opinions rather than actual useable facts. Socal Traffic Expert strives to HELP the average driver navigate AROUND LA traffic. We like to be part of the solution, not just contribute to what seems to be an ongoing problem.

We asked our Facebook followers... If you drive/have driven in Los Angeles Traffic, what ONE thing would you recommend someone driving in LA for the first time to do/not do?

Gary Klayman (AZ resident, former Inland empire resident):

Dont take your eyes off the road trying to spot celebrities on the freeway or you may end up rear ending one.

Although I have not personally witnessed celebrities on the freeway with my own eyes, the chances of seeing one in Socal is pretty great. I would venture to guess that “rubbernecking” (for East coast transplants) for celebrities is directly correlated to accident rate just as much as “looky-loo” curiosity about an accident on the other side of your freeway. Keep your eyes ahead of you and aware of your surroundings at all times, preferably with a field of vision ¼ mile ahead of you on the freeway.

Bonnie Keith (38 year Socal resident):

Just relax, you'll get there eventually.

Bonnie, it depends what your definition of “eventually” is. Sometimes fatal crash investigations or terminal sites of police pursuits prompt closures that last hours and sometimes even days. Although the chance is small (probably less than 1%), Southern California freeways do see large-scale closures like this perhaps several times a year. In these cases, law enforcement's first priority is citizen safety. While it may be frustrating to sit in traffic for hours, it's also a lot safer than driving through a crime or disaster scene.


Bill Mann (South Pasadena resident, veteran Socal freeway driver):
Find out where you are going and how to get there BEFORE starting out


Shannon Drummond (10-year San Fernando Valley resident, now living in NYC):
Don't stop to merge onto the freeway. Living here often there are stop signs at the merge but not in LA


Bonnie Keith Yes Randy what else can you do? Road rage?


These three comments all fit into the "PLANNING" category. Knowing where you're going ahead of time, including the names and numbers of all freeways involved on your route, plus the offramps you must take, will help frustration levels tremendously, not to mention the safety of your drive.

Shannon this is a great point. There are very few freeways in Southern California (most notably the Pasadena Freeway (110)) that have older, shorter on and offramps like those on East coast turnpikes and thruways. Most onramps on Socal freeways are metered, which means during drive-time, the entrance traffic is directed with a stop light. If there is no stop light, make sure you use the onramp as what it is meant to be – an ACCELERATION lane where you increase speed to match (as closely as possible) the existing flow of traffic on the “mainline” of the freeway.

Road rage is a whole chapter... I could include stories like the one on the 170 where a fighting party pulled over and one subsequently hit and ran over the other.

Nancy Hurst Kirkwood Checking the map ahead of time a good idea - do not freak out if you miss your exit just get off at next one - Move with the flow of traffic

Cutting across lanes is extremely disruptive to the flow of traffic (especially when it is already moving slowly), not to mention extremely dangerous.

Showbiz Emelle Never EVER get on the 405. That. Is. All. If people ask, I tell them that there is only a two-hour window where the 405 is clear, and it changes daily, so no one can ever know when it actually exists.

This is quite true. Very rarely does the 405 (the hellish section usually referred to is the stretch generally between the 101 and 105) see free-flowing traffic. Certainly not during any daylight hours.

Chuck Rowe Know your alternate routes!

Because of the geography and topgography in California, drivers do not have the luxury of following a grid-type navigation system as in many smaller towns and midwest cities. Sometimes an exit will not lead to a frontage road, or a particular exit will not have an access ramp for returning on the other side of the freeway. Learn as much as you can (preferably using Socal Traffic Expert) about the freeways on your route AHEAD of time.  

Eileen Clemens Granfors Do not assume your blinker on will help you merge whether because of road work, accident, or the way the stupid road is built.

Never assume ANYTHING on Socal roads. Do not assume people see you or where you are going. Double and triple check before you make a lane change. ALWAYS watch out for motorcycles, as it is legal for motorcyclists to ride in between lanes in California, something that surprises (and usually infuriates) automobile drivers visiting CA for their first time.

Comments/Questions/Contributions?

Contact #SocalTrafficExpert Randy Keith

Call or Text 480-840-7301
E-mail: westcoastpianoman@yahoo.com

Source:
http://socaltrafficexpert.com
http://latrafficexpert.com/
http://facebook.com/SocalTrafficExpert
http://cahighways.org

Socal Traffic Expert: Understanding Freeway Names in Southern California

Understanding Freeway names in Southern California

Southern California is one of the few places in the country that actually have “freeways” that are legitimately named; that is, they are free. Other states and regions may have tollways, parkways, highways, trafficways, throughways, causeways, or just “roadways” (a common “crutch” used by traffic reporters to describe a Southern California freeway), but in SoCal, they are all just freeways. Arguably they are not free, as SoCal gas prices and the sheer amount of time sitting on them surely don't feel “free.”

If you are not a native Californian, you may find comfort in this fact, but then get confused as to the markings and the names. First off, just like in other states, there are Interstates, State Highways, and US Highways. The difference in description is logistic and really carries no relevance to us as drivers, other than seeing different shaped signs on the roads.

Interstate Highways (“Freeways” in SoCal) are funded by the Interstate Highway system. Only single and double digit Interstates actually extend across state lines. They also follow the traditional rule that odd numbers go North/South and even numbers go East/West. 3-digit interstate highways are extensions of the primary interstate, and usually have their terminal beginning and ends as a tangent of their “primary” interstate's number (405 extends from the 5 in Mission Hills to the 5 in Mission Viejo). Therefore the 3-digit interstates do not necessarily conform to the same rules (the 710 runs north/south while the 10 runs East/West)...

Interstate Highways that run through Southern California

• I-5 – Runs from San Ysidro/Tijuana at the US/Mexico border all the way through California, Oregon and Washington to the US/Canadaian border
• I-10 – Runs from the coastline in Santa Monica (the McClure Tunnel – technically the merge of the Santa Monica Freeway and Pacific Coast Hwy (CA-1)) across the entire Southern U.S. To end in Jacksonville, Florida
• I-15 – Runs from the merge with 5 in San Diego through Nevada, Utah, and Idaho to the Canadian border
• I-405 From the 5
• I-710 There is one small section of the 710 that is not the Interstate section, and part of the reason why the 710 does not extend into Pasadena. The 710 terminus is just north of its primary freeway, I-10, and seres a huge amount of freight traffic into the Port of Long Beach.
• I-605 Extends from the border of Long Beach/Seal Beach to the San Gabriel mountains in Irwindale.
• I-210 Runs along the “foothills” of the San Gabriel Mountains, from the Newhall Pass through Pasadena. The interstate portion of the 210 serves as a major thoroughfare between Pasadena and points in the San Gabriel Valley and the Inland Empire. The entire stretch of the 210 (officially a “state highway,” not an Interstate) runs as far east as San Bernardino and Redlands
• I-110 The Interstate portion of the 110, also known as the “Harbor Freeway” serves as the link between the Port of Los Angeles (San Pedro) and Downtown Los Angeles.

There is a numerical name and a given name for each freeway in Southern California. It seems a matter of habit for most people, either they use one or the other. Most east coast transplants seem to prefer the given names, whereas most natives and even midwesterners will use numbers. It seems the majority of traffic reports contain the numbers of the freeways, although good reports make an attempt to use both when possible.

Also, there are some freeways that just never seem to be called by their given names, most notably the 91 (gardena) and 105 (Glenn M. Anderson fwy). Toll roads in orange county are rarely described by their extensive names (San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor).

#SocalTrafficExpert Randy Keith

Call or Text 480-840-7301
E-mail: westcoastpianoman@yahoo.com

Source:
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http://latrafficexpert.com/
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LA Traffic Expert: OC/Valley... Avoid the 5 and 405!

Going from the Valley to OC (or vice versa)?

I have learned both from personal experience and from many friends and past listeners of my traffic reports…. For all intents and purposes, if you don’t need to go to or through the Los Angeles basin, from the Valley to Orange County, at all costs, avoid the 405 and the 5 freeways.

As a very general rule, the best way (and least trouble-prone) way to go from the San Fernando or Santa Clarita Valleys to Orange County is to take the 210 to the 57.  Going from OC to the Valley can be a little trickier depending on the time of day, but again, usually 57 to 210 is the best route.

The 5 will be tempting because it is a “direct” route and is often cited as a first choice on map services like Google.  The 405 can also be treated this way especially if you need to go to/from points in Northern OC like Seal Beach or Garden Grove. 

The 405 on the West side can never be trusted – if there is a problem, there are many alternates but few good ones. 

The 5 between Downtown LA and Anaheim/Buena Park is usually riddled with accidents and because it is laid out diagonally, it is very hard to find a direct alternate route.  Stay safe and stick with the 210 and 57. Without traffic, this route will take between 90-120 minutes for most endpoints in the valley and Orange County.  Generally add up to 45 minutes during peak traffic times, which is still FAR better than what you might risk anywhere on the 5 or 405 in LA county.