Most Californians encounter one of the state’s more notorious highway choke points only on occasion: while traveling over the holiday season, or on weekend trips between Southern California and Las Vegas. 

But for Michael Thielen and thousands of others, driving up and down the Cajon Pass along Interstate 15 is just another part of the daily commute. About a decade ago, Thielen made a common move, departing the city of San Bernardino to relocate to the more affordable high desert region to the north. Thielen bought a home in Oak Hills, an unincorporated community about 15 minutes south of Victorville. For years, he kept his job down the hill at one of the Inland Empire’s many warehouses — meaning each day, he would descend thousands of feet in elevation while driving the interstate that cuts between the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains. After clocking out, he’d do the drive again in reverse — while often sitting in heavy traffic. 

Somewhere along the way, maybe while stuck in a mileslong gridlock around the holidays or struggling to find a better route using mapping apps, Thielen realized that there just wasn’t enough information out there on the traffic conditions (or other news) at the Cajon Pass. The compact stretch of interstate was essentially a micro news desert on most days, despite seeing around 160,000 vehicles on a typical day and more during peak travel periods like the holiday season.

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FILE: Traffic is jammed on northbound Interstate 15 before California’s Cajon Pass. 

So Thielen decided to fill that void.

His Facebook group, “Pain In The Pass,” now boasts over 166,000 members, and his website of the same name provides daily updates on the latest conditions, including details of traffic accidents, road closures and upcoming weather forecasts that could impact traffic. A few years ago, Thielen received a local “safety hero” award from the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors for his work informing fellow commuters and travelers about conditions along Interstate 15.

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