With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
LA Approves Crackdown On Hollywood Tour Buses
File: People ride a Hollywood tour bus near the Beverly Hilton Hotel in 2012 in Los Angeles. (David McNew/AFP via Getty Images)
()
Those big tour buses rolling all over Hollywood will soon be banned from driving, stopping and parking on certain residential streets in Los Angeles.
The L.A. City Council passed an ordinance Tuesday calling on its Department of Transportation to create a set of guidelines for tour bus operators, including listing streets deemed unsafe for them to use. The ordinance also includes a system of increasing criminal and civil fines for operators that violate the new rules.
Hollywood Hills residents have long complained about the daily onslaught of tour buses driving through their neighborhoods. City Councilman David Ryu, who represents L.A.’s 4th Council District and authored the original motion calling for a crackdown on tour buses, said the law has been a long time coming. He said in a statement:
“For far too long, unscrupulous tour bus operators have been putting their passengers and the public at risk by driving up narrow hillside roads that weren’t built for heavy vehicles, making illegal U-turns, and allowing passengers to hop on and off behind blind curves. We had no way to stop them and keep people safe. After years of working with the State and working with the City, we are finally bringing some common sense safety to this industry.”
Support for LAist comes from
“If we are prevented from being able to go anywhere in the Hollywood Hills at any time, it's not so much a loss for us – we're gonna go to other streets,” said Jeff Napshin, president and CEO of Star Track Tours, speaking to KPCC/LAist media partner NBC4 last week.. “What's gonna happen is that view, that experience that visitors from all over the world want and want to experience of L.A., they're not gonna have that opportunity.”
The new rules were made possible after a 2017 state Assembly bill gave cities more power to regulate tour companies.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
What do stairs have to do with California’s housing crisis? More than you might think, says this Culver City councilmember. -
Yes, it's controversial, but let me explain. -
Doctors say administrator directives allow immigration agents to interfere in medical decisions and compromise medical care. -
The Palisades Fire erupted on Jan. 7 and went on to kill 12 people and destroy more than 6,800 homes and buildings. -
People moving to Los Angeles are regularly baffled by the region’s refrigerator-less apartments. They’ll soon be a thing of the past. -
Experts say students shouldn't readily forgo federal aid. But a California-only program may be a good alternative in some cases.
Best of LAist