Bop around Griffith Park for free on new weekend shuttle

Weekend visitors to Griffith Park will soon have a new car-free way to get around.

Next month, the city’s department of recreation and parks plans to launch a free weekend shuttle that will run through Griffith Park, stopping at some of the park’s biggest attractions.

The shuttle service will “promote social equality, transit opportunities” and fulfill a “commitment to community to launch a park-wide shuttle service,” the parks department said in an email announcing the start of shuttle service next month.

Called Griffith Parkline, the bus will run from noon to 10 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. People will be able to hop on and off at more than a dozen locations including Travel Town, the Autry Museum, and the Los Angeles Zoo.

Department of Recreation and Parks

The ADA-compliant shuttles will seat just over 20 people and have bike racks, a representative for the parks department says.

“This is Los Angeles’ park, and we should make it possible for every Angeleno to access and enjoy [it] without needing a private vehicle,” said Councilmember David Ryu in a statement.

The Parkline will complement existing bus routes to the park—DASH bus service between Los Feliz and the Vermont/Sunset Red Line subway stop to the Greek Theatre and the Griffith Observatory, and Metro’s 96 bus line, which runs through the park along Crystal Springs Drive on its way to Burbank—to create more public transportation connections throughout the nearly 4,300-acre open space.

The shuttle is part of a host of improvements approved in 2016 for Griffith Park that are aimed at making it easier for people to visit the park and get around while they’re there—ideally eliminating some cars on the road and freeing up space for pedestrian, equestrian, and bike uses. Those updates include adding paid parking at the observatory and extending DASH bus service in the park.

The Griffith Parkline will be unveiled on December 3, with service starting on Saturday, December 7.