President Obama departs L.A. today; beware of more street closures

President Obama is set to leave Los Angeles on Thursday, and that means more headaches for commuters as his motorcade forces another round of street closures on the Westside.

As the president continues his California tour, which will take him as far as San Diego, expect traffic to take a hit, notably from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the area around Santa Monica Boulevard and Avenue of the Stars.

As a result of a road closure along Santa Monica Boulevard between Wilshire Boulevard and Avenue of the Stars, transit officials warned riders about stoppages on bus routes 4, 16, 316, 704, 20 and 720. They urged commuters to contact Metro in advance for alternatives.

Obama’s motorcade Wednesday generated some complaints along with the throngs of people lining the route to wave and catch glimpse of the president.

Some drivers took to to Twitter using an #ObamaJam hashtag to voice their frustrations as the motorcade wound its way toward Bel-Air along Beverly Glen Boulevard during the evening commute.

One woman said it took 2 1/2 hours to drive from Beverly Hills to Santa Monica. Another woman complained that a normal 20-minute commute had turned into a 2-hour ordeal.

After flying into Los Angeles International Airport, Obama was whisked to the USC Shoah Foundation’s 20th anniversary dinner, where he accepted the Ambassador for Humanity Award, the foundation’s top accolade, before heading to a fundraiser at the home of Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn.

At the ceremony at USC, comedian Conan O’Brien seized on the ObamaJam chatter during his warm-up act to rib the president over his impact on L.A.’s streets.

“What the hell? I know you left Washington six hours ago, but I left Burbank seven hours ago,” he said.

“There are two things that make traffic shut down in this town,” O’Brien continued, “a visit from the president and a light drizzle.”

He added: “Skype works.”