Author: Ryan Faughnder / Source: latimes.com
Residents of the hilly neighborhoods surrounding the famed Hollywood sign — the symbol of Los Angeles’ signature industry — have long blamed the attraction for worsening traffic, parking nightmares and disruptive tourists.
Now one of the movie and television business’ biggest players, Warner Bros.
, says it has a bold solution.The 95-year-old studio on Monday told city officials it would foot the bill for an aerial tramway to transport visitors to and from the Hollywood sign, starting from a parking structure next to its Burbank lot.
The purpose, the AT&T-owned entertainment company said, is to give selfie-seeking visitors a way to see the famed letters without driving and hiking through residential neighborhoods, such as Beachwood Canyon.
The traffic problem has worsened in recent years with the rise of social media photo-sharing sites such as Instagram, ridesharing apps including Uber and Lyft, and navigation services such as Waze.
Similar solutions in the past have been shot down over concerns that they would lead to the commercial exploitation of Griffith Park. The Warner Bros. proposal will surely face tough questions from locals and a lengthy review process to assess the effects on the environment. Many have also voiced concerns about how such a project would affect wildlife in the area.
“There’s going to be a lot of people pushing for the tram for the relief it will provide the local residents,” said Gerry Hans, a board member for the nonprofit group Friends of Griffith Park. “But at the same time there are…
The post Warner Bros. wants to build a $100-million aerial tramway to the Hollywood sign appeared first on FeedBox.