Major transit, pedestrian changes coming to the Walk of Fame
One of Hollywood’s biggest stars is getting a makeover.
The Walk of Fame is the subject of Los Angeles Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez’s “Access to Hollywood” plan to revitalize “perhaps the most famous street in Los Angeles.”
Planned transportation improvements include bike lanes and better public transit, as well as tweaks to help drivers.
“The ‘Access to Hollywood’ plan would introduce bike lanes along Hollywood Blvd, extending from La Brea Ave on the border of West Hollywood to Fountain Ave in Silver Lake,” Soto-Martinez’s office said in a news release. “Bus lanes would also be implemented from Orange Dr to Gower St, improving public transit efficiency, reliability, and giving Angelenos more options for how to get around. A center turn lane will be introduced along the majority of the stretch to help mitigate delays caused by turning movements and to facilitate quicker emergency response times.”
The bright lights of Hollywood Boulevard at night. (Getty Images) Hollywood is seen in an undated image. (Getty Images) Billboards and landmark theatres, Hollywood and Highland, Los Angeles, California, USA (Getty Images) Hollywood is seen in an undated image. (Getty Images)
Soto-Martinez said the $8 million project, which is funded primarily by Metro, will improve safety and prioritize people.
“We know that if people come here, they will eat here, they will shop here, and they will spend their money here,” he said. “By building Hollywood around people instead of cars, we can revitalize this iconic destination.”
Soto-Martinez isn’t alone in wanting to improve the experience on the Walk of Fame, which has been described by some as the worst tourist attraction in the world. His predecessor, former Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell, had his own HEART of Hollywood plan to fix up the area.
Also in favor of Walk of Fame improvements is Hollywood’s other representative on the L.A. City Council, Councilmember Nithya Raman, who noted that the “iconic” Hollywood Boulevard ties the two council districts together.
“With the rollout of the ‘Access to Hollywood’ project which combined bus and bike lanes in central Hollywood and the Hollywood Boulevard Safety and Mobility Project, we are delivering the kind of transformative investments that Angelenos have been asking for, helping us improve transit travel times and creating a safer environment for all, whether they are walking, biking, or driving,” she said.
And the transportation improvements — anticipated early next year — are just the beginning of planned upgrades. Also on the docket are “addressing homelessness with more shelter beds, improving the CIRCLE unarmed response program, building the first public bathrooms in Hollywood, and bringing in new businesses to the area,” the councilman’s office said.
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