Fed Up With Tour Buses? So Is This L.A. Councilmember

LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles City Councilman David Ryu introduced two motions today that would enact restrictions on tour bus operators.

The motions come after Assembly Bill 25 was signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday. The bill authorizes local jurisdictions to impose restrictions such as limiting which streets the buses can travel and prohibiting the use of loudspeakers on buses without roofs.

"Today, I introduced motions that would put in place common-sense rules to guide how tour buses should be able to operate in the city of Los Angeles," said Ryu, whose district includes the Hollywood area where many tour buses operate.

The motions would direct the city attorney to draft an ordinance requiring the use of headphones for all passengers on open-air tour buses, and would instruct the Department of Transportation, with assistance from the police and fire departments, to report back to the City Council within 30 days with a list of routes or streets, particularly including hillside substandard streets, which are unsafe for tour buses to operate on.

"Every day, dozens of these tour buses wind up narrow hillside roads that simply were not built for this kind of use. Now, we have a chance to ensure the safety of tourists and residents alike," Ryu said.

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