Free Wi-Fi to be offered at 6 Los Angeles City Parks, Four State Parks in New York, and One State Park in New Jersey

Thanks to Toyota and American Park Network, free public Wi-Fi is now available at six popular Los Angeles parks and beaches. This is a pilot program, and in the pilot phase. The free service, called Oh, Ranger! Wi-Fi™ was provided and made possible through the generous support of Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid. The Oh, Ranger! network is L.A.’s latest example of a public-private partnership, an increasingly popular way for cities across the U.S. to fund projects while limiting their own investment.

This Oh, Ranger! Wi-Fi™ is now available at six of the most iconic, highly visited city parks throughout Los Angeles, the Griffith Observatory and extremely popular Venice Beach, which has an estimated 16 million visitors annually. Included in the first phase of this pilot program are: Venice Beach, Pershing Square, Griffith Observatory, Cabrillo Beach, Echo Park Lake and Reseda Park.

The equipment, which includes installation, is being provided at no cost to taxpayers as a function of this public-private partnership between the Parks Departments, Toyota and American Park Network.

American Park Network editor-in-chief Mark Saferstein, whose company built the network, stressed that the program is still in testing, meaning connection specs are still being calibrated and there are kinks that need to be worked out.

Free Wi-Fi is now available to the public in Niagara Falls, Jones Beach, Saratoga Spa and East River State Parks and New York.

“We’re thrilled to partner with American Park Network and the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks to help make Oh, Ranger! Wi-Fi™ a reality for the visitors who attend these six tremendously popular parks here in Los Angeles,” said Dionne Colvin-Lovely, National Director, Traditional and Digital Media, Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. “Supporting the needs of parks and their visitors is a perfect fit for the Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid, we particularly welcome the opportunity to make a difference, here, in our own backyard, by improving the park going experience for Angelenos throughout the city.”

Park visitors will be capable to access WI-Fi in two steps. Users simply select “Oh, Ranger! Wi-Fi™” under available Wi-Fi networks on their smart device, then accept the standard terms and conditions, and they’ll be on their way to free Internet access.  

“It’s really rewarding to work with such collaborative partners as Toyota and LA Parks,” said Mark Saferstein, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief at American Park Network.  “It’s rare to have a chance to positively impact the lives of so many people. We feel great about providing a new service that will make our parks even more accessible to the next generation of custodians who will care for these special places.”