Update: As of Saturday, November 3, 2007, the roads to the Griffith Observatory were re-opened to private vehicle traffic. The observatory shuttle is no longer running, and there is no longer any cost associated with visiting the Griffith Observatory. Read more here and here. It appears that public parking will be restricted not only at the Griffith Observatory parking lot, but also in Griffith Park in the areas around Vermont Canyon, Fern Dell (the Western Avenue entrance), and in surrounding residential neighborhoods. This will be taking place around the time of the Griffith Observatory's reopening on November 3rd.
From Los Angeles City Councilman Tom LaBonge's weekly newsletter from last Friday:
Responding to Los Feliz residents’ concerns regarding the expected increase in traffic and visitors once the Griffith Observatory reopens, Councilmember LaBonge got Council approval this week to establish six new temporary preferential parking districts in Vermont Canyon and Fern Dell neighborhoods adjacent to Griffith Park. The districts, while approved, will not go into effect until all petitions are completed by residents, notices are sent to all property owners and signs are installed along affected blocks.That means that if you do not have a preferred parking sticker, you will not be allowed to park in those residential neighborhoods, and then walk or bike to the observatory or other nearby park destinations.
“We want the reopening of the Griffith Observatory to be a time of celebration and a time where all of us can embrace this great occasion,” said Councilmember LaBonge. “ The new districts will affect certain blocks of Aberdeen, Commonwealth, Gainsborough, Glendower, Hillhurst, Inverness and Vermont avenues; Los Feliz Boulevard; Rodney and Cockerham drives and Glendower Place in Vermont Canyon. In the Fern Dell area, PPDs are being established on select areas of Fern Dell, Moco Lane, Live Oak Drive and Red Oak Drive.
Persons traveling by car will be restricted to parking at the Greek Theatre parking lots whether they are park users or intend to walk to the Observatory.If this information is correct, those who like hiking to the top of Mount Hollywood from near the observatory will now be forced to make a much longer hike from near the Greek Theatre at the bottom of the hill. If you want to go up to the observatory area at nighttime for that fantastic view of the Los Angeles nigh sky, you've got a very long hike to make in the dark, or you have to pay $8 and ride the shuttle bus (don't forget to make a reservation). And of course, don't expect any parking availability on nights when the Greek Theatre has a concert.
“Our intention with these PPDs and other measures is to allow access to the park while helping to maintain a residential atmosphere for the neighborhoods right next to it,” said Councilmember LaBonge.
I don't want to make the Los Feliz homeowners' association into the bad guy, but they have to realize that a lot of people enjoy using Griffith Park for recreation, even those of us who live (and own homes) in Los Feliz. Requiring people to take a shuttle bus to the observatory was no doubt necessary to avoid traffic nightmares in an already congested Los Feliz Boulevard corridor, but charging each adult $8 to ride the shuttle just makes the observatory and Griffith Park that much less accessible to the public at large, especially the less affluent.
