Neighbors Under the Hollywood Sign Sue L.A. Over Tourist Crowds

The public nuisance lawsuits ask for no money, only a court order forcing the city to clear traffic, trash and fire risks.

A fire engine got stuck among parked cars on the cramped street outside Max Martens' house below the Hollywood Sign, and he documented it. Now he and his neighbors are suing Los Angeles, calling the tourist crowds a public nuisance, CBS News reported Monday. They aren't asking for money, just an order forcing the city to keep the area "free of obstructions, health hazards, fire risks and other public nuisances."

According to the suits, the crowds, which neighbors and city leaders blame on social media and mapping apps, could make getting out during a fire hard or even impossible. City traffic cameras counted more than 48,200 vehicles over 13 days this summer, up 15% from 42,000 in the same stretch of July 2025. "I have witnessed police, ambulance, fire vehicles get caught in traffic snarls and be delayed," Martens told CBS.

Mayor Karen Bass' office told CBS it hadn't seen the lawsuit and pointed to extra LAPD traffic officers at peak times. Councilmember Nithya Raman's office said it has paid for weekend LAPD and LADOT patrols since May and is funding a pilot traffic plan meant to be running before the 2028 Olympics. The residents' lawyer, Ilan Wurman, argues that a city has to keep its streets and parks free of nuisances, just as a private landowner does.

The fear is old. In July 2015, KCRW reported, Hollywood Hills homeowners sued to cut off trail access at the top of Beachwood Drive, warning the traffic could block fire engines. One Beachwood resident told LAist back then: "It's Russian roulette."

Source: CBS News, retrieved October 27, 2026. Other sources: kcrw.com, LAist.