In a statement released March 18, the Burbank film and television studio said that after exploring construction issues, required zoning changes and protocols necessary to protect guests during emergencies, it decided to focus on its core business interests.
“We know there are other solutions being explored to provide access to the iconic Hollywood sign and address neighborhood congestion,” Warner Bros said in the statement. “We look forward to seeing those come to fruition for the citizens of Los Angeles and the millions of tourists eager to visit the sign each year.”
The Hollywood Skyway, proposed in 2018, would have started from an area the studio owns along Forest Lawn Drive near its Burbank lot, travel up the mountain on the San Fernando Valley side and terminate near the famed Hollywood sign.
The experience would include time at an education center on the mountain that would give visitors a history of the sign and the importance of Griffith Park to the local environment.
Public access to the Hollywood sign has become a contentious issue for those living in the Beachwood Canyon area as tourists clog the narrow streets. In 2017, a trail to the sign was made off limits to hikers, and the city agreed to spend $100,000 to study park access and mobility, including viewing the sign from a distance.
