The famous Hollywood Sign is an iconic landmark and tourists love to take its photograph and retain it in their library as a fond memory but the path to the site is riddled with problems. There are narrow streets that follow hilly tracks and hiking paths that encroach on the property of a local ranch. Therefore, Eric Garcetti, the mayor of Los Angeles, has come up with an idea of introducing a gondola service which will cater to tourists and ferry them to the spot.
The gondola proposal
Los Angeles Times reports that Garcetti mentioned about his proposal in the course of an interview with a local TV channel.
An action of this nature would do away with the present discontent among the residents of the neighborhoods of Hollywood Hills because the matter has already gone to court. The idea is not a new one because, as disclosed by Leron Gubler, president and CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, the suggestion is at least two decades old.
However, subsequent to the closure of the Beachwood Drive gate that provides access to one of the most popular trails, a fresh debate has erupted on how a compromise can be worked out to ensure protecting the neighborhoods and simultaneously giving tourists access to the iconic Hollywood sign in the city of Los Angeles. The sign has been there for ages and such attractions draw the crowds at any place of tourism interest - this is no exception.
How did the problem begin?
It is basically a tussle between the Beachwood Drive ranch and the preservationists of Griffith Park. Hikers would trek near the ranch and disturb its regular activities hence they blocked the entrance. This has not gone down well with the Griffith Park preservationists who argue that the city must devise a solution and create an alternative route to give tourists access to the Hollywood sign.
There is agreement among a section of the residents about the suggestion of introducing the gondola service which would provide another access point for the visitors but it would not mitigate the sufferings of those who want to walk the streets or go hiking.
A spokesman for the Mayor of Los Angeles has indicated that he was keen to explore various ideas that would give vent to the creative thinking of the residents so that they could come up with ideas to ease congestion in the surrounding areas.
The objective would be to let the imagination go wild and work towards solutions to remove the bottlenecks so that tourists can have better access to not only the Hollywood sign but to other iconic landmarks and destinations.
The proposed gondola service could originate from the Universal Studios area and generate revenue to relieve traffic and improve Griffith Park. Necessary priority must always be assigned to any activity that improves the lives of the people and an idea like the gondola could solve many of the existing problems.
