Councilmember Nithya Raman Celebrates Historic Funding and Safety Improvements For Griffith Park With Community Celebration

For Immediate Release: August 22, 2022

LOS ANGELES — On Friday, the Office of Councilmember Nithya Raman in partnership with the Office of Laura Friedman and the Department of Recreation and Parks hosted a community celebration in Griffith Park to announce $4 million in funding for transportation infrastructure and facility improvements for the area, and to unveil the now permanent closure of Griffith Park Drive to personal vehicles – reducing the amount of cut through traffic. Over 300 people turned out for an evening of food trucks, a guided walk and hike, a community bike ride, kids bike skills course, music, and free rides at Travel Town. 

“Our vision is simple: a safer and family-friendly Griffith Park, where vehicle use is limited to those enjoying the park, rather than people just cutting through,” said Councilmember Raman. “I am overjoyed by the community support we saw at Friday’s celebration, and deeply grateful to our partnership with Assemblymember Laura Friedman and the Department of Recreation and Parks for helping make this vision a reality, and to Mayor Garcetti for uplifting our work to make the park accessible for all.”

The closure of Griffith Park Drive is the first in a series of recommendations resulting from the Griffith Park Safety & Mobility Feasibility Study, overseen by Council District 4 and the Department of Recreation and Parks (RAP), and being conducted by the consulting firm Kimley-Horn. The Study divides its recommendations into short, medium, and long term implementations, and the historic $4 million in funding secured by Assemblymember Laura Friedman in the state budget will go toward moving those improvements forward faster. The first of these improvements is the permanent closure of the ⅔ mile stretch of Griffith Park Drive from Travel Town to Mt Hollywood Drive, effectively eliminating cut-through traffic from nearby freeways. 

“Griffith Park has been a precious jewel in LA for over a century, a place Angelenos and visitors alike can relax, learn and enjoy. And now, we are making it even more accessible and safer than ever before,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti. “Our work is not yet done, but this is an important and significant step in achieving our goal of zero deaths and injuries on the road. Thank you to Assemblywoman Friedman and Councilwoman Raman for their dedication to the safety of Angelenos.”

“It takes partnerships with collaborative leaders and engagement with the community to make big things happen,” said Assemblymember Laura Friedman. “The $4M in state funds that I’ve secured, combined with the vision, leadership, and investments from Councilmember Nithya Raman and Mayor Eric Garcetti, will make our iconic park safer and more accessible for all to enjoy.”

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