South LA Residents Angered By Lack Of Access To Endeavour During Its Final Journey

INGLEWOOD (CBSLA.com) — Some South Los Angeles residents are disappointed they won't be able to get a close-up look at the space shuttle Endeavour as it makes its way from LAX to its permanent home at the California Science Center next week.

A year ago, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said there would be a celebration after Endeavour circled Los Angeles.

"Then we're gonna have a parade. The mother of all parades," he said.

Villaraigosa, however, has loudly changed his tune.

"First of all, it's not a parade. It's a route. The shuttle is traveling a route. Now, people will be along that route," he said.

According to the carefully planned route schedule, the shuttle will head northeast on La Tijera Boulevard to Manchester Parkway. Then, it will make a stop at the Inglewood Forum.

From there, the shuttle will head east on Manchester to Crenshaw Boulevard.

It will continue down from MLK to Bill Robertson Lane and into Exposition Park.

Unless a person lives along the route or has access to a rooftop, the number of residents able to see the historic shuttle will be limited because sidewalks and streets will be closed about a mile ahead and a mile behind Endeavour as it goes through the streets.

"I feel double-crossed. But life goes on," said one woman.

"I'm very disappointed because I thought we could stay in the street," a man told KCAL9's Dave Lopez.

Officials said the reason residents can't be close to the shuttle is because of safety concerns.

Villaraigosa jokingly indicated he is okay with being the scapegoat of the situation.

"They can always blame it on me, isn't that what we do?" he said.