Los Angeles Traffic, Emergency Numbers & Useful Resources: A Traveler's Guide

Los Angeles traffic radio: where KNX lives now

For decades the default answer to "what station has traffic?" in Los Angeles was KNX. That is still true, but the dial position changed. KNX News broadcasts on 1070 AM. Its long-running simulcast on 97.1 FM ended in May 2026, when Audacy converted that frequency to a sports talk format. If you tune to 97.1 FM expecting traffic reports, you will not find them.

KNX News is also available on the Audacy app and through smart speakers, which is often the more practical option for international visitors using a rental car with streaming audio or listening from a hotel room.

• KNX News — 1070 AM, plus streaming via the Audacy app and smart speakers.
• 97.1 FM is now a sports talk station and no longer carries KNX news or traffic.
• Most local TV news stations also stream morning and afternoon traffic segments online.

Official traffic, closure and camera resources

Before any drive across the basin, check conditions. Southern California's regional traveler information service, SoCal 511, aggregates freeway speeds, incidents and transit information; it is reachable by dialing 511 in the region or at go511.com. Caltrans publishes statewide highway conditions, construction and closures at quickmap.dot.ca.gov and roads.dot.ca.gov, including live freeway cameras.

For city streets rather than freeways — filming closures, street resurfacing, parades and event road closures — the City of Los Angeles publishes information through lacity.gov and the MyLA311 service. Metro publishes rail and bus service alerts at metro.net.

Our chauffeurs monitor these same sources plus live flight data, which is why a scheduled pickup absorbs a closure better than a last-minute app request. If you are timing an airport run yourself, our LAX pickup guide and Los Angeles freeway rush hour guide explain how much buffer to build in.

• SoCal 511 (dial 511 regionally, or go511.com) — traffic speeds, incidents, transit and rideshare information.
• Caltrans QuickMap (quickmap.dot.ca.gov) — live freeway cameras, incidents, closures and chain controls.
• Caltrans road conditions (roads.dot.ca.gov) — statewide highway status.
• Metro (metro.net) — rail and bus schedules and service alerts.
• MyLA311 (myla311.lacity.org) — city street and service information.

Important Los Angeles phone numbers

Three numbers cover nearly every situation a visitor will encounter. Using the right one keeps emergency lines free for people who need them.

911 is for life-threatening emergencies that require an immediate police, fire or paramedic response — a medical crisis, a fire, a crime in progress, a serious collision, or a downed power line. It is not for directions, noise complaints, parking issues or reporting something that already ended without ongoing danger.

311 connects to MyLA311, the City of Los Angeles information and non-emergency city services line. Use it for city information, service requests and general questions. From outside the city you can dial (213) 473-3231, or use myla311.lacity.org and the MyLA311 mobile app.

877-ASK-LAPD (1-877-275-5273) is the LAPD's non-emergency police response and complaint line — appropriate for reporting a matter that is not an emergency in progress. The LAPD also offers a TDD service at 800-660-4026 and online reporting for certain incident types at lapdonline.org.

• 911 — life-threatening emergencies only (police, fire, paramedics).
• 311 or (213) 473-3231 — City of Los Angeles information and non-emergency services.
• 877-ASK-LAPD / 1-877-275-5273 — LAPD non-emergency police response.
• 800-660-4026 — LAPD TDD service.

Emergency alerts and other useful resources

The City of Los Angeles sends emergency alerts through NotifyLA, its official alert system, by phone, text and email; you can subscribe at emergency.lacity.gov/notifyla. During wildfires, major closures or public safety incidents, NotifyLA and the Emergency Management Department site are the primary official channels.

For airport-specific information — terminal changes, curbside rules and construction — LAX and the other regional airports publish live updates on their own sites, and the pickup procedures at LAX in particular change more often than visitors expect. If you would rather not manage any of it, airport transportation with a scheduled meet-and-greet removes the variable entirely.

• NotifyLA (emergency.lacity.gov/notifyla) — official City of Los Angeles emergency alerts.
• Airport information — check the operating airport's official site before departure day.
• Service areas — where Exodus Limo Service operates across Los Angeles and Orange County.
• Reservations — book a chauffeur in advance and let us track the traffic.