Take Public Transit to L.A.'s Baldwin Hills Parklands This Weekend

Angelenos, are you looking for something new and interesting to do over the long weekend? Well, I, for one, am very excited about a brand new shuttle service that is bound to increase public access to one of south Los Angeles's most beautiful and interesting park areas.

Starting this weekend, the County of Los Angeles's Link mini-bus service will pick up passengers at the La Cienega station on the Exposition (Expo) light rail line in Culver City, and whisk them over to the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook and Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area. These expansive urban state parks offer hiking trails, play areas, a meandering creek, and a spectacular 360-degree view of the Los Angeles basin.

The shuttle will run every 20 minutes and only costs a quarter to ride. That's right -- for only 25 cents each way, you can get some exercise, take in an unbelievable view, and experience nature right in the middle of the big city. The shuttle will only run on weekends for now, but if the route proves popular you can bet the County will seriously consider expanding its schedule.

County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas says that the Link shuttle program "will allow people to hike and enjoy the most beautiful urban parks in the region, without having to worry about finding or paying for a parking space." That's so true, and it's also extremely important to make sure we maximize public access to urban parks in park-poor areas like south Los Angeles. Kudos to Supervisor Ridley-Thomas and the County for recognizing this "last-mile" problem in south L.A. and doing something about it.