For Immediate Release: March 21, 2023

PDF

COUNCILMEMBER RAMAN INTRODUCES MOTION TO CREATE PERMANENT MEMORIAL TO BELOVED MOUNTAIN LION P-22

LOS ANGELES -- Today, Councilmember Nithya Raman introduced a motion to lay the groundwork for the creation of a permanent memorial to the late mountain lion, P-22, in his long-time home of Griffith Park. Laid to rest in December after displaying severe health issues, P-22 was the internationally recognized face of the conservation campaign “#SaveLACougars,” and became a local celebrity in Los Angeles. Councilmember Raman’s motion instructs the Department of Recreation and Parks to create an ad hoc committee of the Griffith Park Advisory Board (GPAB), composed of City personnel and private stakeholders, to determine the location and design of a permanent memorial to P-22. 

“I had the great honor of representing the area where P-22 lived in Council District 4, where he achieved celebrity status after completing an Odyssey-like journey, crossing the 405 and the 101, and trekking over 20 miles to reach his new home of Griffith Park over a decade ago,” said Councilmember Raman. “It only makes sense that we pay tribute to his legacy with a permanent memorial on his home turf, where visitors can come pay their respects and learn more about his invaluable contributions to wildlife conservation. P-22 was important to so many Angelenos, and I’m looking forward to the results of a participatory, community-driven process to determine what that permanent memorial will look like.”

“You can’t over memorialize P22. He was such a beloved cat by people not just in Los Angeles but around the world, and it’s wonderful to see the desire to create lasting places where people can celebrate P-22’s life and their personal connections to him,” said Beth Pratt, California Regional Executive Director, National Wildlife Federation and leader of the #SaveLACougars campaign. “And course, nowhere is more appropriate than Griffith Park, his home for over a decade. Our gratitude to Councilmember Nithya Raman for ensuring we can honor P-22 with a lasting tribute in the place where he roamed for so long.”

In addition to the creation of an ad hoc committee of the Griffith Park Advisory Board, Councilmember Raman’s motion instructs the Department of Cultural Affairs, with the assistance of the Department of Recreation and Parks, Bureau of Engineering, and any other relevant departments, to report back within 120 days with a proposal for a memorial and/or donation-based memorial program dedicated to the memory of P-22 in the City of Los Angeles.

###

For Immediate Release: February 9, 2022

PDF

COUNCILMEMBER RAMAN INTRODUCES MOTION TO CREATE A ZERO-EMISSIONS GRIFFITH PARK

LOS ANGELES -- Yesterday, Councilmember Nithya Raman introduced a motion to fully decarbonize City maintenance and transportation operations in Griffith Park, establishing the largest zero-emissions operated park in the City of Los Angeles. A regional hub for outdoor recreation, wildlife, and families from all over the City, creating a zero-emissions Griffith Park will simultaneously improve Angelenos’ collective enjoyment of this shared space and restore its natural habitat. 

The City Council has recently undertaken efforts to reduce pollution and greenhouse gasses (GHGs) in Griffith Park, including through the deployment of zero-emission battery-powered DASH buses within the park. In August of last year, Councilmember Raman also announced the permanent closure of a ⅔ mile stretch of Griffith Park Drive to personal vehicle use, further reducing emissions and increasing access to active recreation. However, much of the maintenance work and groundskeeping of the park is currently performed with heavily-polluting, gasoline-powered equipment. This equipment exposes users and park visitors to harmful emissions and disruptive noise pollution.

“Last summer, I was so excited to announce the permanent closure of a stretch of Griffith Park to personal vehicle use, and now I am thrilled to build upon that work by creating a fully zero-emissions Griffith Park,” said Councilmember Raman. “Not only will this improve air quality in one of the nation’s largest urban parks, it will serve as a symbol of our City’s values and a model for decarbonizing the rest of the City’s parks and outdoor spaces.”

Councilmember Raman’s motion instructs the Department of Recreation and Parks, with the assistance of the City Administrative Officer, the General Services Department, and any other relevant City departments, to report back within 60 days with a plan to transition City maintenance and transportation operations in Griffith Park to zero-emissions. The report will include options for electrifying, phasing out, or otherwise decarbonizing the following: City-owned equipment powered by gasoline engines, non-emergency City-owned vehicles that operate within Griffith Park, diesel- or gasoline-powered generators used for auxiliary power, and any other equipment powered by a diesel or gasoline engine.

###

For Immediate Release: August 18, 2022

LOS ANGELES -- Today, the Office of Councilmember Nithya Raman announced the permanent closure of a ⅔ mile stretch of Griffith Park Drive to personal vehicle use, following a unanimous vote by the Board of Recreation and Parks Commissioners for the City of Los Angeles. This closure will effectively extend a successful pilot program that has received a groundswell of community support from a wide array of user groups; people biking, on horseback, hiking, running, and others who have welcomed the increased access to active recreation and the reduction in cut-through traffic. 

“I am so excited to bring the road revolution home to Council District 4,” said Councilmember Raman. “Our office, in partnership with the Department of Recreation and Parks, worked with lightning speed to make this closure along Griffith Park Drive a reality, and we have been overwhelmed with the outpouring of support from the community. This is the start of a series of transit improvements our office is facilitating throughout Griffith Park, to ensure the park is a safe and welcoming place for all who use it.”  

The closure of Griffith Park Drive is the first in a series of recommendations resulting from the Griffith Park Safety & Mobility Feasibility Study, overseen by Council District 4 and the Department of Recreation and Parks (RAP), and being conducted by the consulting firm Kimley-Horn. The Study divides its recommendations into short, medium, and long term implementations and the latest public presentation can be viewed here. While both the Council Office and the Department of Recreation and Parks had been looking to make interventions in Griffith Park to promote the safety of active transportation users, the Study was put on a more aggressive timetable, after the death of Andrew Jelmert, a bicyclist who was struck and killed by a driver. 

“Safety in our parks is at the forefront of our Department’s mission, and we will continue our commitment to improve mobility to and within Griffith Park”, said Jimmy Kim, General Manager, Department of Recreation and Parks. “Thank you to Councilmember Raman, our many park stakeholders, and Kimley-Horn for working in close coordination with us on the closure of Griffith Park Drive and on future active transportation improvements for the park.”

“The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition celebrates the permanent closure of this stretch of Griffith Park Drive to cut-through car traffic,” said Eli Akira Kaufman, Executive Director of Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition. “At a minimum, our parks must prioritize the well-being of people who visit for a peaceful walk or bicycle ride without fearing for their lives. The decision to reduce the number of vehicles speeding through the park is a good step toward preventing the next needless traffic violence tragedy. After all, Griffith Park is for the community, not the commute.”

“Closing this stretch of Griffith Park Drive to private vehicles will make the Park safer for everyone, including wildlife,” said Gerry Hans, President of Friends of Griffith Park. “This accomplishment follows in the footsteps of closing Mt. Hollywood Drive and Vista Del Valle in 1992. Soon after, these roads were transformed and became safe meccas where passive recreationists, including people hiking, people biking, and families could be seen enjoying the urban wilderness.”

“This is a huge step towards restoring Griffith Park to its original purpose as laid out by Mr Griffith when the park was entrusted to the City of Los Angeles 1896,” said Damian Kevitt, Executive Director of Streets Are For Everyone. “I see it as an important first step towards a new Golden Age for Griffith Park.”

The Office of Councilmember Raman, in partnership with the Office of Laura Friedman and the Department of Recreation and Parks, will be hosting a community celebration in Griffith Park on Friday, August 19th, where the announcement of the closure will be made public. The event is open to all—families with children, people biking, people hiking, anyone who enjoys Griffith Park and believes in the preservation of our natural habitats.

###

Council Adopts Motion From Councilmember Raman To Create Affordable Housing Database

Posted by Stella Stahl · May 16, 2023 1:18 PM

Council Adopts Motion From Councilmember Raman To Create Holistic Investment Strategy For Interim And Permanent Housing to Reduce Unsheltered Homelessness

Posted by Stella Stahl · May 16, 2023 11:35 AM

Council Adopts Motion From Councilmember Raman To Bring Mental And Health Care Services To City-Funded Interim Housing Sites

Posted by Stella Stahl · May 10, 2023 2:56 PM