Hot Weather, Cheaper Gas Expected to Fuel Crush Toward Coast

With slightly humid, quintessentially summer weather expected for the next few days, hoards of hot travelers are heading for cool waters for the Fourth of July weekend with lots of recreational equipment in tow.

That, said California Highway Patrol spokesman Sgt. Ernie Sanchez, will make for some bad traffic.

Starting at 6:01 tonight, the CHP will go into “Maximum Enforcement Period” mode, putting 85% of its officers--15% more than normal--to work through the first big summer weekend.

“With the economy good and gas going down in price, people are taking advantage of this,” Sanchez said. “More people are going out and having fun.”

Sanchez cautioned drivers to slow down and buckle up.

Last year, 25 people died in California highway accidents over the Fourth of July holiday period, and 60 people died in 1997, according to a CHP report.

With so many motorists driving at slow speeds and tugging trailers with boats, Jet Skis, and aquatic equipment behind, traveling on Independence Day weekend can be especially dangerous, especially near the coast, Sanchez predicted.

Airports will be crowded, too, although not as mobbed as on holidays such as Thanksgiving or Christmas, or even holiday weekends such as Memorial Day or Labor Day.

Burbank Airport expects about 15,000 people to pass through the airport on Friday and Monday--about 20% more than normal--according to airport spokesman Victor Gill.

And Los Angeles International Airport expects crowds from Friday through Sunday to be comparable to Memorial Day weekend. Travel was expected to be so heavy there--about 195,000 people are scheduled to pass through LAX daily this weekend--that officials warned there might be intermittent closures of some of the parking structures in the central terminal area.

Gill recommended that air travelers give themselves more time than normal to catch their planes.

“It’s not quite the same old 15 minute in and out thing,” Gill said. “Curb space is pretty tight.”

He advised travelers to use the islands to load and unload, rather than cramming into the right lane closest to the terminal.

Many area residents opted to rent recreational vehicles to get away for the long weekend.

“They are going everywhere, everywhere, everywhere, in full force,” said Cheryl Almuina, owner of Metro RV, Inc. in Burbank. She said she had units heading off to Sequoia National Park, San Francisco, Carpinteria and Las Vegas.

She said many customers were coming in early this year to avoid heavy weekend traffic. All 100 of her units would be cleared off the lot by Saturday afternoon, she said.

Campgrounds are expected to be full, too.

At Castaic Lake, campgrounds have been booked for months, said Regional Parks Supt. Mika Yamamoto. Castaic Lake’s two boating areas, with a total capacity of 500 boats, are expected to fill early. Latecomers can rotate in as other boaters leave, Yamamoto said.

All reservation sites in Angeles National Forest were booked by Thursday afternoon, officials said.

“Everyone has gotten out of the doldrums of gloomy Juney,” said a man accepting reservations Thursday for both sides of Angeles National Forest. “This is as busy as it’s going to get.”

The man, who declined to give his name, said all that remain of Angeles National Forest’s 12 campsites are first-come, first-served, and many families were sending an advance person Thursday or today to make sure they get a spot.

As for the Angelenos who stay home to chow down on barbecue or watch a local fireworks display, Gary Ryan of the National Weather Service in Oxnard predicted sunny summer weather through the weekend.

Temperatures through Sunday are expected to be in the 80s and low 90s in the San Fernando Valley and the Los Angeles Basin, Ryan said. Low clouds and fog will shroud coastal areas in the morning, but are expected to burn off by early afternoon. Temperatures by the beach should be in the 70s.

Monday is expected to be warmer, but less humid, Ryan said.