Michelle Obama's visit will likely snarl mid-day traffic in South of Market district

June 22, 10:25 AMSF South of Market Street ExaminerLori Sabatini

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Michele Omaba, seen here working with kids at a June 16 event, will be in SoMA today./AP

When President Barack Obama was still on the campaign trail in 2008, he made an un-advertised visit to San Francisco for a high-end fundraiser with wealthy Bay Area Democrats. Though we hadn’t heard any thing about his arrival, we knew something was up when all of the traffic Third Street, easily one of the busiest and noisiest corridors in the South of Market district, went eerily silent.

At each intersection motorcycle police officers blocked traffic and with the coordination of a grand procession ushered the Obama’s motorcade through the city to its downtown.

Today, expect a even greater display of coordination, protection and the accompanying traffic nightmares as first lady Michele Obama comes to the Moscone Center in SoMa, along with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and California first lady, Maria Shriver.

Shriver and Obama will first go to the Bret Harte Elementary School playground, believed to be sometime around noon. The entourage will then come up from Hunters Point to the city, either up Third Street or down U.S. 101 to the Fourth Street exit.

Count on lots of roads being blocked off either way, with lots of residual traffic problems. Check the map link here for areas that will be log-jammed.

The event, which brings the lovely first lady to our lovely city by the bay is all about volunteerism. Motorist s can pitch in today by taking alternative routes or simply being patient while our city does its job in protecting Mrs. Obama.

Mrs. Obama will give the keynote address to the 2009 National Conference on Volunteering and Service at the Moscone Center. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is also scheduled to speak at the event. More than 4,500 hundred people are expected to attend.

The exact time of her arrival to San Francisco has not been released, but it is expected in the afternoon. Obama's San Francisco visit is the first of several events of events across the country in which Cabinet members will highlight volunteer projects.
 

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