Both the California Constitution and the Coastal Act guarantee our right to coastal access. While these laws protect our right to beach access, there are many individuals and families who simply lack financial resources and transportation to actually reach the coast.

Parks Now is a coalition of Californians working to improve the State park system. This film, produced by a group of San Fernando Valley teens, highlights the inequality of transportation to the coast from different neighborhoods in the region. Following two teenagers- one taking public transportation from Mission Hills and one taking a city provided bus from the more affluent Calabasas- one heading to Will Rogers State Beach the other to Zuma. While the distances where similar, the teen utilizing the city sponsored bus from Calabasas had a 45 minute trip, while the teen relying on public transit had a nearly 2 hour journey to the beach.

California needs to support ease of access to parks (and thus, our beaches) to ensure that individuals and families visiting our beaches are as diverse as are our communities. If you have thoughts on how California can better connect our communities with our parks, Tweet your ideas using #ParksNow. Check out the film and share your ideas.