GRIFFITH PARK—An aerial tram is coming to Griffith Park to help the city alleviate congestion and traffic throughout the tourist region. A Design from Stantec is set to begin preparation for an Aerial tramway system.
In 2018, the Los Angeles City Council approved 29 recommendations to be analyzed to alleviate traffic problems, aerial transit being one of them.
“For far too long, our City has gone without a comprehensive plan to address safety, access and mobility around the Hollywood Sign and Griffith Park,” said Los Angeles City Councilmember Ryu in October 2018.
Stantec is a global engineering, consulting, architecture, and design firm whose headquarters is based out of Canada. They were selected by the City of Los Angeles Parks and Recreation to design a way to alleviate the traffic congestion around the area.
“Griffith Park is one of Los Angeles’ true crown jewels,” said Simon Bluestone, the vice president of Stantec. “We’re thrilled to be working with the Department of Recreation and Parks and the surrounding community to help inform decision-making on what could be a game changer for park visitors and residents.”
According to Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, another idea was proposed in 2015 for the transit. The plans proposed back in 2015 resulted in the implementation of paid parking near the Griffith Observatory, re-routing the traffic flow near the Griffith Observatory. A seven-day-a-week DASH shuttle service connecting to the Metro Red Line was also created. According to the Los Angeles Times, a transit plan for Griffith Park was considered in 2005 as an unrevised plan.
Griffith Park is known to be one of the largest parks in the North America covering 4,310 acres of land. It is one of Los Angeles’s most iconic tourist attractions housing the Greek Theatre and the Griffith Observatory which both opened in the 1930’s. The park’s popularity has led to severe traffic problems and experts expect that trend to continue in the future.
Written by Tamera Lewis and Christianne McCormick
