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The over-the-hill connecting road between Highland Park and Eagle Rock took more than 20 years to become a reality. Today it’s a great “short cut” that offers stupendous views facing northward.<\/p>\n
Google Maps<\/p>\n
Highland Park\/Eagle Rock\u2014One recent day in Highland Park, I turned left from York Boulevard and headed north on Avenue 51. Cruising past quiet bungalows, I climbed a steep hill and followed the curve higher until I reached the zenith. I was on \u201cThe Roller Coaster Road.\u201d\u00a0IFYKYK.<\/p>\n
Below me, the world spread out like a picnic blanket of goodies: the 134 Freeway traffic, the rolling Glenoaks hills and the San Gabriel Mountains. Fluffy clouds hung lazily in the blue sky.<\/p>\n
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Back home, I told my husband about the Avenue 51\/Townsend drive. He wondered, \u201cHow did that road get there?\u201d That started us down a rabbit hole.<\/p>\n
It turns out, the road took 20 years to become reality. In the early 1960s, Avenue 51\u2014the preferred shortcut over the hill\u2014had a reckless racing problem and residents complained.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Councilmember John Holland ordered an aerial survey of a possible bypass. In 1966, work began to widen Townsend Avenue and realign the street. However, neighbors on both sides of the hill protested, and one group organized a petition with 1,100 resident signatures saying that the widening project wasn\u2019t needed because no one used Avenue 51 as a cut-through.<\/p>\n
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The project didn\u2019t go away, and new Councilmember Art Snyder took the reins in 1968, promising completion within three years. He envisioned connecting Colorado Boulevard to Downtown Los Angeles with a grand throughway called the Northeast Boulevard. That never materialized.<\/p>\n
Various delays followed. In 1977, an environmental impact report was completed and the City Council signed off on the project. But it took seven more years for the .7 mile road to become a reality.<\/p>\n
An opening ceremony took place on Jan. 28, 1984, with Snyder, Mayor Tom Bradley, the Early Birds Car Club, the Eagle Rock High School Jazz Band, The Balloon Man, The Penguins and others.<\/p>\n
There are still problems, however. Last August, someone driving south on Townsend lost control<\/a> of their vehicle near Avenue 51 and drove straight into a family\u2019s living room, injuring three people. Area residents are demanding safety measures<\/a>.<\/p>\n Whatever happens, the Roller Coaster Road is among the projects that seem to drag on endlessly (I\u2019m looking at you\u00a0Pillarhenge<\/a>). Time will tell if those additions are a big bust, or worth the wait.<\/p>\n Support Eastside Community News \u2014 Now Tax-Deductible<\/p>\n You can now make a tax-deductible contribution to support The Eastsider\u2019s civic and accountability coverage on the Eastside.<\/p>\n Choose what works for you: <\/p>\n \u2022 Become a monthly supporter and help us reach 500 neighbors funding daily reporting<\/p>\n \u2022 Make a single gift to our new Eastside Community News Fund<\/p>\n Strong local news keeps residents informed and leaders accountable.<\/p>\n Thank you for your consideration.<\/p>\n \u2014Jes\u00fas Sanchez, Publisher<\/p>\n