A nonprofit intent on getting Bunker Hill’s Angels Flight railway reopened has launched a campaign to raise $10,000 to help fund the historic railway until state regulators make a decision about its future.

The 315-foot, steeply angled railway was closed two years ago because of safety concerns after a partial derailment. Supporters say it is not dangerous now and want to see it operating again. Nearly 2,000 people signed a petition in favor of reopening the century-old railway earlier this summer, according to Adele Yellin who chairs the board of the nonprofit Angels Flight Railway.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority are also considering stepping in to help.

Yellin, who owns the nearby Grand Central Market downtown, describes the railway, which opened in 1901, as a “connector of people.”

“Angels Flight worked for 100 years,” Yellin said. “Why can’t it work now?”

Angels Flight Railway hopes to be able to pay for maintenance, including electricity and insurance for the railway. Insurance alone costs nearly $8,000 a month, according to Yellin.

The fundraising campaign already has support from local real estate investment firms, including downtown L.A.’s Beacon Capital and Mid-Wilshire’s CIM Group. Yellin said the goal is to raise at least $10,000 by the end of next month. The David Bohnett Foundation in Beverly Hills has already pledged a matching grant of $10,000.