Hollywood sign tourism sparks public safety concerns among Los Angeles residents

Living beneath one of the world's most famous landmarks, the iconic Hollywood sign, Rhoda Coleman and her neighbors are fed up with the traffic, chaotic scenes and harassment that comes from visitors. She and others in her community are calling on city leaders to take action and help fix the problem. CBS News California Investigates obtained data from traffic cameras posted in the area, which recorded 14,300 vehicles in the area during a 14-day period in February 2024. In 2025, the number during the same stretch grew to 25,000. In 2026, it was 32,300. The spike over the last two years: 124%. Coleman and some of her neighbors said their Hollywood Hills neighborhood is constantly overrun with tourists crowding their yards, choking their streets and even relieving themselves in the bushes, they believe it's for social media fame. Neighbors said people will come take pictures and film videos with the sign in the background. "I live in constant fear of a fire," Coleman said. The neighbors' greatest fear is a repeat of the Palisades Fire, when people abandoned their cars, which blocked fire trucks from getting to burning homes. "Fire safety and evacuation is our top priority and we all worry about it on a daily basis," said Gavin Martin, a resident. Two days after the Palisades and Eaton fires erupted on Jan. 7, 2025, the Sunset Fire broke out in the Hollywood Hills. An evacuation order was issued, but residents said tourists kept coming to the Hollywood sign. …