Crystal Springs Drive in Griffith Park is officially under the knife, as crews move in to carve out protected space for people walking and biking along the busy park corridor. The roadway is being narrowed to one motor-vehicle lane in each direction and outfitted with a new curbside protected lane, the most visible milestone yet in a multi-phase safety plan that grew out of years of advocacy after a fatal cycling crash in 2022. Regular park users can expect to see buffered lanes, bollards, and other traffic-calming features roll out through the park as construction advances.
On Tuesday, the city kicked off construction on Phase 3 of the Griffith Park Safety & Active Transportation Improvement Project, according to Councilmember Nithya Raman. This phase will rework Crystal Springs Drive between Los Feliz Boulevard and Griffith Park Drive, converting two travel lanes in each direction into single lanes and adding a separated active transportation lane buffered with bollards and rubberized curbs. City staff describes the work as a quick-build strategy intended to deliver safety upgrades quickly while longer-term designs move through the pipeline.
What the work will include
The state's CEQA filing for the project outlines quick-build elements that include speed humps, asphalt resurfacing, new striping and signage, and physical buffers such as Jersey barriers and delineators to separate the bike lane from car traffic. The Notice of Exemption characterizes the changes as minor alterations to existing park roadways, a classification the city says lets it move faster on implementation, according to CEQA.
How we got here
The push to overhaul Crystal Springs Drive intensified after a speeding driver struck and killed 77-year-old cyclist Andrew Jelmert on the roadway in April 2022, a crash that spotlighted dangerous cut-through driving and high speeds inside the park. As reported by the Los Angeles Times, the city responded by first piloting and then permanently closing a stretch of Griffith Park Drive to drivers in an effort to curb cut-through traffic and better protect people using the park.
Delays, red tape, and local pressure
Advocates and neighborhood groups say the Crystal Springs segment was originally supposed to break ground in 2024, only to get bogged down in re-approvals and rebidding. That left some promised safety upgrades in limbo for months. Coverage in the San Fernando Valley Sun captured growing frustration from cycling advocates and neighbors who argue that permit delays and rising costs have dragged out a project they view as urgent for public safety, even as city staff point to required coordination among multiple agencies.
The safety case for a road diet
Decades of research on roadway reconfigurations, commonly known as road diets, have found that converting extra car lanes into protected space for people walking and biking typically cuts total crashes by roughly 19 to 47 percent. That safety record underpins the Crystal Springs design, which local advocates tie to a $4 million state earmark set aside for mobility improvements around Griffith Park, including measures such as speed humps and a new crosswalk, according to reporting from Streets Are For Everyone.
What to watch next
Recreation and Parks staff and the Board of Recreation and Park Commissioners have signed off on Phase 3 and laid out outreach plans for nearby residents, saying the changes will make park roads feel more "park-like" while improving safety for cyclists, pedestrians, and equestrians. The board report backs a sequence of work that starts with striping and buffers, followed by pavement repairs as needed. That means residents should be ready for temporary lane shifts, fresh markings, and detour signs as crews move along the corridor.
Advocates want follow-through
Local organizations have welcomed the start of Phase 3 but are quick to note that pilot projects are only as good as the permanent protections that follow. Friends of Griffith Park and other community groups have pressed the city to complete planned speed humps and to rotate radar feedback signs as promised, arguing that long-term safety gains require a mix of street design changes, regular maintenance, and consistent attention from city and enforcement partners, as reflected in advocacy materials and community reporting.
City and park officials say they will share project updates and detour details as the quick-build work unfolds, and neighbors should anticipate short-term lane restrictions along with new signage in the affected areas. For project boards, timelines, and contact information, see Council District 4 and the Department of Recreation and Parks' project materials.
