Gridlock on the 110 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles is a snapshot of how many motorists begin and end the day. So The Times tracked down a handful of commuters near the 10 interchange to hear their stories. (Richard Hartog/Los Angeles Times)
Markus Schmid lives in Venice and commutes 38 miles to Monrovia for work. The native of Switzerland isn’t willing to give up the house he and his wife rent a block from the Pacific, which feels like “vacation every day.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Janet London drives her Toyota Rav 4 from her home in South L.A. to her job at the Judicial Council of California in Burbank, which takes about 45 minutes. Books on tape are “the only thing that keeps me from losing my mind,” she says. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
John Kannofsky, who lives in Highland Park, commutes to a charter school near LAX, where he is an art instructor. After driving 45 minutes one morning, he is nowhere near his destination. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)