The Department of Transportation will install signs at entry points prohibiting vehicles over 6,000 pounds, a limit most tour buses exceed
The Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved a resolution Wednesday, August 27 banning so-called “disaster tours” in the fire-affected Pacific Palisades area, effective for the duration of the January 7 wildfire emergency declaration. The decision, prompted by reports of tour buses exploiting the devastated region, aims to ensure public safety and support ongoing recovery efforts.
The restriction, enforced by the Los Angeles Police Department, covers approximately 16 square miles bounded by the Santa Monica Mountains ridgeline to the north, the Los Angeles city limit near Coastline Drive and Pacific Coast Highway to the west, Pacific Coast Highway to the south and east, Chautauqua Boulevard between Pacific Coast Highway and Sunset Boulevard, Sunset Boulevard between Chautauqua Boulevard and Mandeville Canyon Road, and Mandeville Canyon Road north of Sunset Boulevard.
The Department of Transportation will install signs at entry points prohibiting vehicles over 6,000 pounds, a limit most tour buses exceed, using existing sign maintenance funds.
Councilwoman Traci Park, representing the 11th District including Pacific Palisades, initiated the measure in June after residents reported commercial operators conducting tours following the area’s reopening on June 14. The Palisades Fire, which displaced thousands, destroyed 6,837 structures, and claimed 12 lives, left narrow, winding roads hazardous amid ongoing construction to repair infrastructure and rebuild homes and businesses.
The resolution directs the Department of Transportation to request Caltrans consider similar restrictions on Pacific Coast Highway, under state jurisdiction. No fiscal impact to the General Fund is anticipated, officials said.
