Campaign Tour to Bring Obama to Peninsula Today

President Barack Obama will sweep through the Bay Area today on a campaign fundraising tour that will take him to a pair of Peninsula events where he will rally supporters.

He’s scheduled to arrive at Moffett Field aboard Air Force One around 6 p.m. and will motorcade to a private dinner at the home of Lisa and Doug Goldman in Atherton. Later in the night, he will make a sold-out appearance at the Fox Theater in downtown Redwood City.

Because of the timing of the president’s arrival, commute traffic near Moffett Field, Highway 101 and selected surface streets in Mountain View, Atherton and Redwood City may be affected, police said.

Sgt. Greg Oselinsky, a traffic supervisor with the Mountain View Police Department, said local officers are working with the Secret Service to make sure roads are clear and safe for the president’s motorcade. For security reasons, he couldn’t reveal the exact streets that will be affected.

He acknowledged, however, that some motorists likely will run into delays and said officers will be working hard to minimize the downtime, which he said should be no more than 10-to-20 minutes. “We’re asking the public for patience,” Oselinsky said.

Police in Redwood City said there will be street closures along Broadway and Middlefield Road through downtown. Selected businesses close to the Fox Theater, including Le Boulanger restaurant, also are being ordered to close early.

Obama will spend Wednesday night in San Jose. On Thursday he will appear at an 8 a.m. roundtable there to support the Asian American/Pacific Islander community. The roundtable reportedly is to be held at the downtown Fairmont Hotel. The president will return to Moffett Field and depart the region around 10 a.m.