Commuters Beware: ‘Obamajams’ Return to L.A.

Los Angeles commuters should expect full-blown traffic jams — or “Obamajams” — once again, with President Barack Obama’s arrival in the area between Thursday evening and Friday morning, where he will be raising money for House and Senate candidates.

The president will then head to Northern California for fundraisers before leaving the state Saturday afternoon.

This will be Obama’s second time in California since the start of the new year.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the president will attend a $33,400-per-couple event at the Los Angeles home of Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn and his wife Cindy on Thursday evening.

He will then head to San Francisco for a dinner fundraiser, which costs the same amount per couple, at the home of billionaire Gordon Getty and his wife, Anne Gilbert.

Getty is the son of the late American oil tycoon Paul Getty, whose art and antiques collection formed the basis of the J. Paul Getty Museum and the Getty Villa in Malibu.

Obama is scheduled to stay in San Francisco overnight and leave Saturday afternoon.

The Times notes that the Los Angeles Police Department recommends motorists avoid the following areas on Thursday:

• The area around South Centinela Avenue between Ocean Park and Pico boulevards, from 7:15 to 8:15 p.m.
• Sunset Boulevard between Sepulveda and Beverly Glen boulevards, from 7:15 to 8:30 p.m.
• St. Pierre Road and St. Cloud Road between Bel Air Road and Beverly Glen Boulevard, from 7:30 to 9:45 p.m.
• Sunset between Beverly Glen and Royce Drive, from 9 to 10:30 p.m.
• Hilgard Avenue between Sunset and Weyburn Avenue, from 9 to 10:30 p.m.
• Tiverton Avenue between Le Conte and Weyburn avenues, from 9 to 10:30 p.m.

On Friday, the LAPD recommends avoiding the following areas:

• The area around Hilgard Avenue between Weyburn and Sunset, from 9:30 to 11 a.m.
• Sunset between Loring Avenue west to Burlingame Avenue, from 9:30 to 11 a.m.
• Bristol Avenue between Sunset and Westboro Street, from 9:30 to 11 a.m.
• North Cliffwood Avenue between Westboro and Highwood streets, from 10:30 a.m. to noon
• Sunset Boulevard between Bristol Avenue and Sepulveda Boulevard, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Centinela Avenue between Ocean Park and Pico boulevards, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Hilgard Avenue will be closed from 4 p.m. tomorrow until 1 p.m. Friday. Malcolm Avenue will be closed from 7 p.m. tomorrow until 1 p.m. Friday. Cliffwood Avenue will be closed from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Friday.

President Obama was in California in February for a week-long trip, where he enjoyed golfing in Palm Springs, taped an episode of the Ellen DeGeneres Show, and hosted a summit with leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations at the Sunnylands retreat in Rancho Mirage.

His last trip was also filled with fundraisers, including one at he home of Silicon Valley venture capitalist and Hillary Clinton donor Steve Westley, where he raised money for the Democratic National Committee. Obama also attended a fundraiser for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee during his last visit.

Follow Adelle Nazarian on Twitter @AdelleNaz.