Parking reversal was in the stars

For many years, Santa Monica resident Gerard Kent would take his camera to Griffith Observatory several times a month to record the landscape of the surrounding park.

But after the observatory closed for renovations about five years ago and then reopened last year without its parking lot, Kent avoided the landmark, saying the buses that shuttled visitors from the Los Angeles Zoo to the observatory were too slow and expensive, at $8 for adults and $4 for children.

“I would go to the Greek Theatre nearby, but the shuttles were too much of a hassle,” said Kent, 48.

On Saturday morning, however, the free parking lot behind the observatory was back in service, and Kent was at the tourist magnet’s entrance photographing the fog blanketing the side of Mt. Hollywood.

“This is the people’s park, and we got it back,” he said. “I was so excited once I heard about the lot being open that I drove straight all the way here.”

When the observatory first reopened in November 2006, officials kept the parking lot off limits in hopes of avoiding traffic jams at the hilltop site in Griffith Park.

But after seeing attendance drop 60% from nearly 2 million visitors annually to 650,000 in the last year, the observatory lifted the unpopular parking ban at 10 a.m. Saturday. Several nearby hiking trails also were reopened Saturday.

Although signs pointing out lines for shuttles near the zoo were still visible, the system, which required visitors to make reservations before seeing the observatory, was shut down Friday night, officials said.

By noon Saturday, the 100 spaces in the lot were filled and most of the 160 spaces along both sides of West Observatory Road were taken.

About 30 spaces at the observatory’s entrance will be blocked off for VIP guests, city and emergency vehicles and disabled visitors, said Sean Hinton, principal park services attendant for the city’s Department of Recreation and Parks.

Some visitors grumbled that traffic was spilling out of the lot less than two hours after it opened, with nobody directing drivers to alternate spaces. A few suggested that a parking structure be built.

Most people, however, said the parking lot made the landmark a much more appealing place to visit. The hourlong shuttle rides had made the observatory a no-go zone, said Mark Whitney, 35.

“We’ve been waiting for this day,” said Whitney, who brought his wife, Alice Ryu, 35, and their 4-month-old daughter, Willow. “The observatory is part of our community, and it was so disappointing when they closed down access. Instead of being like Central Park for Angelenos, it became cut off.”

The couple, who live at the foot of Mt. Hollywood, used to visit the observatory often and returned Saturday after accidentally discovering that the lot was open while trying to make an online shuttle reservation.

But several hikers and bikers said that while the parking lot was a convenient addition, they prefer making the trek to the observatory through the trails.

“Especially if you come up here on weekends, people are already lined up and parking is limited,” said Mid-City resident Rich Rogers, 50, who hikes to the landmark weekly with his dog, Oliver. “Spaces will get filled fast. It’s much easier to walk up.”

Traffic on Saturday seemed steady but manageable, park rangers and observatory guides said, adding that many people still were unaware the lot is open. Officials predict Thanksgiving weekend will be the first true test of the lot’s capacity.

“It’s refreshing to see the park grounds utilized again,” said Ranger Joseph Drabinski. “When we had to shut down the area, it was like having a public library and telling people they couldn’t check out books from it.”

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tiffany.hsu@latimes.com