Obama lands at LAX; here's how to avoid dreaded motorcade

1/21

President Obama arrives at Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park to sign an executive order designating 346,000 acres of the San Gabriel Mountains as a national monument. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

2/21

President Obama arrives at the Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park in San Dimas to announce the executive order designating 346,000 acres of the San Gabriel Mountains as a national monument. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

3/21

Framed by the San Gabriel Mountains, President Obama announces an executive order designating 346,000 acres as a national monument, at the Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park in San Dimas. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

4/21

President Obama signs an executive order making the San Gabriel Mountains a national monument. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

5/21

President Obama signs an executive order making the San Gabriel Mountains a national monument. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

6/21

President Obama holds 2-week-old Lucio Madrigal after the signing of the executive order designating a national monument. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

7/21

U.S. Secret Service agents get in position minutes before President Barack Obama speaks. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

8/21

Security personnel position themselves on a hill beside the stage before President Barack Obama arrives. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

9/21

Security personnel make a final inspection of the stage before President Barack Obama arrives. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

10/21

A Secret Service agent stands guard minutes before President Obama arrives on stage to announce an executive order designating 346,000 acres of the San Gabriel Mountains as a national monument. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

11/21

Kidscoop Media members, from left, Eden Rees, 9, Olivia Torrington, 9, Cassius Bythewood, 13, and Larrina Ellison photograph and wave as President Obama departs Los Angeles International Airport. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

12/21

Ariel Jalali, chief executive of Sensay, far right, offers President Obama a job during a Q&A session at Cross Campus in Santa Monica. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

13/21

President Obama greets DeKoven Ashley, co-founder and chief operating officer of thrdPlace, an online platform for community planning and development, before speaking at Cross Campus in Santa Monica. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

14/21

A member of the audience asks President Obama a question during his stop at Cross Campus, a shared office complex in Santa Monica. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

15/21

President Obama at Cross Campus. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

16/21

President Obama hugs Rep. Steve Israel, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, with congressional candidate Ted Lieu, left, during a surprise stop at his campaign office in Venice. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

17/21

A crowd tries to get a glimpse of President Obama as he leaves state Sen. Ted Lieu’s headquarters in Venice after a surprise visit. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

18/21

President Obama with Rep. Steve Israel and state Sen. Ted Lieu at Lieu’s campaign headquarters. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)

19/21

President Obama arrives at Los Angeles International Airport on Thursday. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

20/21

President Obama heads to a helicopter at Los Angeles International Airport. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

21/21

President Obama arrives in Los Angeles. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

By Jason Wellswriter

Oct. 9, 2014 2:38 PM PT

It’s official: President Obama has landed, cue widespread lament on L.A.’s roadways.

Air Force One touched down at Los Angeles International Airport shortly after 2 p.m., kicking off a two-day L.A. itinerary packed with fundraisers and public appearances.

Tonight, Obama is headed for a fundraiser at actress Gwyneth Paltrow’s home after first heading to Santa Monica for a town hall session on the economy. Drivers on the affected routes can expect the usual traffic headaches, which are expected to last well into the night.

Already, commuters were taking to Twitter to express dread and frustration.

“Obama just landed in LAX and of course no ones is allowed to depart or land until he leaves. This better not make me miss my later flight,” said Twitter user Diana, who goes by @TheCaLiDee.

LAX traveler Jack Burke was equally unimpressed, posting on Twitter: “Landed at LAX and now we’re sitting on the taxiway and we cant move cuz Air Force One just landed. THANKS OBAMA!”

Meanwhile, commuters lamented the inevitable, including Twitter user @Sarah, who posted: “obama traffic is possibly the worst thing in the world ever.”

Los Angeles police warned motorists that the president’s motorcade will affect streets in Santa Monica, Brentwood, Westwood and Beverly Hills. Here’s the list (all times are approximate):

Centinela Avenue between Ocean Park and Olympic boulevards, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Lincoln Boulevard between Pico and Wilshire boulevards, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Santa Monica Boulevard between 26th Street and Ocean Avenue, from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Ocean Avenue between Pico and San Vicente boulevards, from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

San Vicente Boulevard between Ocean Avenue and Bundy Drive, from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Sunset Boulevard between Allenford and Barrington avenues, from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Sunset Boulevard between Allenford Avenue and Roxbury Drive, from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Beverly Glen Boulevard between Sunset and Santa Monica boulevards, from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Wilshire Boulevard between Sawtelle and Santa Monica boulevards, from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Obama’s motorcade is to be on the streets again Friday as he attends a Democratic National Committee fundraiser before heading to G. Bonelli Regional Park in San Dimas, where he’s expected to announce his executive order carving out about half the Angeles National Forest to create the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument.

From there, Obama is to depart for San Francisco, where more fundraisers are on the itinerary.

For news as it happens in California, follow @JasonBretWells