GRIFFITH PARK—Griffith Park officials finalized a year-long traffic plan last month that will alleviate congestion at the Griffith Observatory with the implementation of paid parking.
At the cost of $4 per hour, visitors can park in the Observatory Lot and along main roads throughout the park, including West and East Observatory Roads and Western Canyon Road.
The parking tolls are a key element of the comprehensive traffic plan aimed at bringing more cohesion to the park by cutting back on heavy traffic, according to the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks. All revenue will go towards increasing shuttle service throughout the park.
The traffic plan will convert specific surrounding streets into one-way roads and increase existing DASH shuttle service from weekends to weekdays – the shuttle runs every 20 minutes from the Red Line subway station to Vermont Avenue.
Free parking will still be available in a few auxiliary lots throughout the park and free shuttles will be offered to and from the observatory.
The traffic plan was introduced in January and was initially slated to be finalized in June, but was delayed to accommodate additional public hearings. The plan was unanimously approved by the Recreation and Parks Department board in September.
Along the way, the plan shed a controversial proposal for a Hollywood Sign shuttle after the public raised concerns that pedestrians would be sharing narrow park roadways instead of shuttle buses.
No exact date has been disclosed regarding when paid parking will go into effect, but officials have said that tolls will be in place by the holiday season.
Canyon News reached out to the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks for comment, but didn’t hear back before print.
