Hollywood may get easier to reach… at least to the sign

Getting to Hollywood has never been an easy task, just ask any aspiring actor. But, for tourists, getting to the Hollywood sign is no picnic either. Even for residents who live nearby, it’s just as bad.

Now, the city is taking seriously a proposal to build a tram to and from the storied sign.

The City Council instructed staffers to look into a dozen strategies to alleviate traffic around Griffith Park, including the tram, according to Curbed. That includes a feasibility study of such a tram.

The city picked the proposals out of 29 developed by outside consultant Dixon Resources Unlimited on the guidance of the Department of Recreation and Parks. Among those proposals that didn’t make the cut, was the suggestion to build a second, more accessible Hollywood sign on the north side of Griffith Park to ease the congestion.

Locals around Griffith Park have complained about tourist activity around the Hollywood sign for years. In 2016, a group of locals including the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce asked the city to create an official visitors center to help organize visits.

The city has received two proposals over the last year from outside groups to develop a tram. Warner Brothers proposed building one that would move people between the sign and a parking lot at Warner Brothers’ studio on the north side of Griffith Park.

The other proposal comes from the Diller-Von Furstenberg family. Billionaire media mogul Barry Diller, his wife and fashion designer Diane Von Furstenberg, and her son Alexander von Furstenberg want to fund a tram that would leave from the Los Angeles Zoo.

Councilmember David Ryu, whose district covers the entirety of Griffith Park, is leading the City Council effort. [Curbed]–—Dennis Lynch