Public Meeting To Discuss The Resurgence Of L.A. Streetcars

Section of Big Map Blog's 1906 rail transit system map.

The City of Los Angeles hopes to return streetcar service to downtown L.A via the Restoration of Historic Streetcar Service project. A 1906 map portraying the L.A. rail transit system map was recently released, showcasing how Angelenos once traversed the sprawl. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) is hosting a meeting on Tuesday, August 2, to discuss the project's study process.

Metro planners will discuss the initial screening of streetcar routes plus those they have selected for further study, according to The Source. Downtown has been divided into three different areas - north of 5th, between 5th and 9th and south of 9th - in order to assess the route options within each area. Further information detailing issues of previously reviewed routes is available in a seven-page briefing.

Metro will conduct the study and expresses the project's mission on their website.

The Streetcar will provide an invaluable service weaving together various Downtown districts, helping to revitalize Downtown LA's historic core and connecting people to employment centers, shopping districts, civic resources, cultural institutions, historic landmarks and entertainment venues within the project study area.

The public meeting will take place from 5:30pm-7:00pm in the first floor conference room of Caltrans. Those who cannot attend the meeting but wish to submit comments may do so via email, voicemail (213)922-3000 or snail mail to Laura Cornejo, Project Manager, One Gateway Plaza, 99-22-2, Los Angeles, CA, 90012.

Funding for this project has yet to be secured.

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By Lauren Lloyd in News on August 1, 2011 10:00 AM

Comments [rss]

RHoover

It just so happens that I photographed a Los Angeles Transit Lines Streetcar 1080 on the F-Line in San Francisco. Check this out: http://flic.kr/p/a9A7Vo and Los Angeles Railway Streetcar 1052: http://flic.kr/p/9vVgDe

Alan Fishel

This is a very much wanted and needed project. But is what
is most important is that the Broadway segment be bidirectional not one
direction of a couplet. The people who are designing this system are looking to
Portland OR as their example. Los Angeles is not Portland. Portland’s downtown
is all one way streets with very short blocks and this is not the case for Los
Angeles. Our blocks are long and Broadway Is bidirectional and the Downtown
Streetcar needs to be By directional on Broadway.

The south end needs to directly serve Staples Center and the
future Farmers Field not a block away. One leg of the couplet needs to be on
the west side of Figueroa and not cross the Metro Blue/Expo line. This is
possible.

The north should serve Broad’s new Art Center at its front
door as a starter. A line on Broadway to serve Chinatown would tie downtown to
north of Sunset together which is a win-win for all. It will be well used.
Union Station would also make for a good line as a phase 3, but since there
will be the Downtown Connector which would serve Union Station area as
well as having a station at Second and Broadway is not as important as Bunker
Hill and Chinatown first. But let me repeat that Broadway MUST have the
streetcar running in each direction as one half a couplet the whole
usefulness of the streetcar will be severely comprised.