Brentwood Braces for Traffic As Foodie-In-Chief Dines at Tavern

"No stopping" signs are everywhere in West Los Angeles.

Anxious dog owners are trying to figure out an alternate walking and pooping paradigm sans their beloved dog park.

Neighbors and workers on San Vicente are angling to sneak a peek when President Barack Obama visits Brentwood for re-election fundraising functions Thursday evening.

But the gridlock! Oy!

"Oh my God!" said Larry Capra, one of the owners of , down the street from trendy Tavern, when Brentwood Patch pointed out the  signs. "It's gonna be crazy!"

A teller across the street at shared her plans to time her coffee break so she could see Obama. A woman walking three dogs near the dog park was surprised it would be closed.  "What will I do?" she wondered.

Air Force 1 is scheduled to land in Los Angeles at 2:45 and Obama goes to a rally at before heading over to the .

In previous visits he has landed a helicopter on VA property next to the where a motorcade awaited.  Previous motorcades have come south on Barrington Avenue and turned east on San Vicente.

The president riled Angelenos when a fundraising visit last August in Beverly Hills snarled traffic for hours all across the Westside.

The traffic was so bad , who chairs the Transportation Committee, called for an investigation into ways such traffic jams can be avoided in the future.

"I told the White House they might have raised $1 million, but they lost one million votes," Rosendahl said.

On a subsequent visit to USC in October, Obama moved around the city primarily by helicopter, largely avoiding massive backups.

Rosendahl said the White House has been responsive this time around as well. He said there was a coordinated meeting today with Secret Service, FBI, LAPD, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation and others.

"I get the assurance the roads won't remained hard-closed for hours and hours, that closures will be based on the president's real-time movements," Rosendahl said. "They're giving me comfort–we'll see–that they're sensitive to our issues, and I'm hopeful."

He said Obama's advance staff alluded to travel by helicopter, but did not go into detail.

The LAPD and the city Department of Transportation both declined to comment on any specifics of Obama's route, noting that the Secret Service controls the operation and often gives orders for street closures at the last minute for obvious security reasons.

But people on the streets–either in cars or on buses–should be ready for delays. "Please anticipate Westside area bus delays and detours," according to a statement issued by Metro. "Detours will be updated as they go into effect. Buses will return to their normal route as soon as roads are reopened."

Some office building management companies sent warning notices to tenants about the anticipated traffic tie-ups.

"We have experienced severe traffic conditions in West LA on previous visits, but there is no way to determine exactly what streets will be affected for this visit," according to a memo sent to tenants of a West Los Angeles building run by Douglas Emmet Management.

Spokespeople for Tavern were hesitant to confirm their dinner guest when contacted Wednesday morning.  "All I know is someone rented out the entire place for tonight," a restaurant employee told Brentwood Patch.

By late afternoon, however, they were confirming that Obama would dine there Thursday night.

Did you know you can upload videos and photos of the President's visit directly to Brentwood Patch? Share with family, friends and neighbors!

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