Blueprint America » Los Angeles

Partner Stations: Blueprint California

tom mcnamara — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 23:17:44 +0000

KCET, Community Television in Southern California – No longer is the argument for investment in renewable energy just about climate change. As America’s economy is in rescission, renewable energy could create a boom in good paying jobs — ‘green jobs’. KCET in Southern California — as a part of Blueprint America — reports how some untypical students at an East Los Angeles school and an economically hard hit community in the Antelope Valley are hoping to make it in a green economy.

PRODUCER: SAUL GONZALEZ
REPORTER: ANGIE CROUCH
EDITOR: MICHAEL BLOECHER

No longer is the argument for investment in renewable energy just about climate change. As America’s economy is in rescission, renewable energy could create a boom in good paying jobs — ‘green jobs’. KCET in Southern California reports how some untypical students at an East Los Angeles school and an economically hard hit community are hoping to make it in a green economy. /wnet/blueprintamerica/files/2009/01/503_indepth200×100.jpg

Partner Stations: Overview

tom mcnamara — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 21:40:52 +0000

In partnership with Blueprint America, ten public television stations across the country concentrate on the state of their local infrastructure.

PBS stations are producing radio and television segments, hosting discussions between policy makers and their communities, and offering further content online, all as a part of Blueprint America.

In partnership with Blueprint America, ten public television stations across the country concentrate on the state of their local infrastructure.

PBS stations are producing radio and television segments, hosting discussions between policy makers and their communities, and offering further content online, all as a part of Blueprint America. /wnet/blueprintamerica/files/2009/05/200×100blueprint_america.jpg

Infrastructure on the Ballot: In L.A. County, a Tax Increase to Fund Transit

tom mcnamara — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 20:44:51 +0000

Los Angeles County voters approved (67 percent – Yes; 33 percent – No) a half-cent sales-tax increase, expected to raise as much as $40 billion, for area infrastructure projects.

Measure R, which barely passed the two-thirds threshold needed for approval, could fund the city’s “Subway to the Sea.” However, the money to begin the subterranean route – probably along the Wilshire corridor – will not be available until sometime between 2013 and 2015.

Los Angeles County voters approved a half-cent sales-tax increase, expected to raise as much as $40 billion, for area infrastructure projects. /wnet/blueprintamerica/files/2008/11/_la-crop.jpg

Driven to Despair: Timeline: Los Angeles Transit

wayne taylor — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 03:45:51 +0000

1873-1875

1875-1897

1911-1945

1953-present


THE BIRTH OF RAIL
1873	Main Street Railroad Company The Los Angeles City Council authorized the maintenance of two railroad tracks. The Main Street Railroad Company began, but nothing ever came of the project.
1874	Spring and West 6th Street Railroad The Spring and 6th Street franchise started, serving the downtown Los Angeles area. This single track horse car line began public transit in Los Angeles.
1874-1875	Main Street & Agricultural Railroad The Main Street and Agricultural Railroad was the first suburban line in Los Angeles.
1875	East Los Angeles & San Pedro Railway Company Due to low patronage, the railway company went under in just four years.
RAIL EXPANSION and MODERNIZATION
1875-1899	Los Angeles & Aliso Street Railroad Company Regular service began in 1877 and as ridership increased a second line, the East First Street line, was built. In 1899, it became a cable railway.
1883	City Railroad Company The first line dedicated exclusively to public transit; other lines had been largely focused on real estate promotion.
1885	Second Street Cable Railroad Company Operated on a single track system.
1886	The Central Railroad Company Developed in 1883 to be a part of the Los Angeles & Aliso Railroad. It eventually merged with City Railroad.
1886-1888	Temple Street Cable Railway Company Carried more passengers than any of the other lines at the time.
1896-1897	Many of the major horse and cable cars operating in Los Angeles converted to electrical power.
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DEATH OF THE TROLLEY
1911	Pacific Electric Railway Company Eight separate companies merged into the Pacific Electric Railway Company.
1925-1955	Pacific Electric Subway The Subway opened on November 30, 1925, running 1,045 feet underground. In 1955, the last line using the subway was converted to buses. By 1933, Pacific Electric and Los Angeles Railway also began bus passenger service, but patronage of both rail and bus had been hurt by the wide-spread use of the automobile.
1945	Los Angeles Transit Lines The controlling interest in the Los Angeles Railway was purchased by National City Lines, which was run by the five Fitzgerald brothers and had support from the oil industry. They renamed it the Los Angeles Transit Lines, substituting buses on most of the street car lines. Further reading on the death of the trolley in L.A.: “Did Auto, Oil Conspiracy Put the Brakes on Trolleys?” (Los Angeles Times, March 23, 2003) “The Fitzgeralds Go. West.” (Time, December 18, 1944)
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FROM PRIVATE TO PUBLIC TO TODAY
1953-1958	Metropolitan Coach Lines Pacific Electric sold its passenger rail cars and buses to the Metropolitan Coach Lines bus company.
1951-1964	Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority This agency was created by the California Legislature to develop a monorail system along the Los Angeles River. In 1958, the Transit Authority purchased Metropolitan Coach Lines and Los Angeles Transit Lines. Paid for with state dollars, operation of transportation in Los Angeles was public for the first time.
1964-1993	Southern Rapid Transit District Mandated by the legislature to improve bus systems, and design and build a transit system for Los Angeles.
1976-1993	Los Angeles County Transportation Commission The California legislature created the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission (LACTC) to oversee public transit and highway policy in the nation’s largest county.
1992-present	Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Metrolink operations began. The new MTA was created by Legislature, merging the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission and the Southern California Rapid Transit District.
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Sources: Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the Electric Railway Historical Association of Southern California

Photos: Courtesy of Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Archive

/wnet/blueprintamerica/files/2008/10/driven-to-despair-thumb-tag.jpg A history of transit in the Los Angeles area as the city modernized at the turn of the 20th Century through today.