Update:
After just one day on the new 10am-8pm single shift, it looks like Ranger hours are going back to the old schedule for now (split shifts 7am-5pm and 12:30pm-10:30pm) . A new new schedule starting June 21st will be all Rangers on the same shift: 11am-9pm.
I'd guess the 9pm is because the Sierra Club made some noise, which is fine. They have hikers in the park until 9pm... in fact, they have some groups who run later than 9pm if the truth be told. Which again is fine, except to say that, not surprisingly, the 9pm time isn't hard and fast. However, a start time of 11am is nuts. On holidays, Griffith Park and other parks can already be completely out of control by 11am.
My opinion as someone who is in the darned park all day until very late many nights, and as someone who works with Rangers from time to time is:
This is nuts.
It doesn't save money.
It doesn't fix the supervision issues with any real effect.
What it does do is negatively impact constituent services.
It does negatively impact the park resources.
It's another decision to keep people off balance rather than a decision to help or improve services.
Would someone at Rec and Parks please start making some well-thought-out decisions that help the public and protect the resources rather than impact them?
