Runyon Canyon Park, the popular hiking spot that welcomes more than 2 million visitors a year, is causing a big problem for residents of a nearby neighborhood after a small parking lot reopened in the area.
The iconic park, along with the parking area near one of its entrances on Mulholland Drive, was closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, residents living near the lot are now demanding the city close it again, citing concerns over safety.
Neighbors blamed the small parking lot for attracting large numbers of crowds and traffic. “We cannot deal with it anymore,” said Rafi Ekmekian, who lives near the parking area.
The recently reopened parking lot, which holds about 25 cars, quickly fills up with visitors, causing an overflow of cars waiting to park and creating what neighbors like Ekmekian say is a possible hazard during an emergency.
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Council member Nithya Raman, who represents LA’s Fourth District, said her office received several petitions from hikers asking for the lot to be reopened due to a shortage of parking spots in the area.
She released a statement saying in part, “The lot, which is owned and operated by the Department of Recreation and Parks (RAP), previously served for years to provide access to the park without impeding crucial fire or emergency vehicle response.”
She added that her office is working with the parks and rec department, as well as the department of transportation, to manage traffic flow and ensure access for emergency vehicles.
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For Elaine Lockhart, the overflow of cars makes it difficult to access her home.
“I can’t get out of my driveway a lot of times. I can’t turn in and out to get to my house,” said Lockhart, who lives directly across from the parking area.
Lockhart, who has lived in the neighborhood for more than two decades, said it was refreshing to have less traffic in the neighborhood while the area was closed during the pandemic.
However, for hikers and visitors, the reopening of the lot has given them free and convenient access to the beloved trail.
“I think it’s huge. It’s huge for everybody, and it saves a lot of people on towing fees because people would park here, not understand. Foreign tourists would come up, not understand the signs and within 10 minutes their cars were towed,” hiker George Reed said. “So, it was an expensive little excursion up Mulholland.”
