Category: All Posts

All Posts

Los Angeles transit’s first Black employee: William E. “Bill” Wells (1862-1943)

Post content by Matthew Barrett, Director, Library, Archives and Records Information Management The Los Angeles Police Department recognized and honored its first black police officer in 2022, Robert William Stewart, and library staff were prompted to look deeper into Metro’s…

History of Monorail Proposals in Los Angeles and Southern California

— Page content written by Danny Seplow Los Angeles County and Southern California have a long history of monorail proposals that have failed to materialize. The proposals varied from mass transit systems to smaller dedicated lines, such as a downtown…

New Resource: Transit & The COVID-19 Pandemic

In an ongoing effort to inform our Metro family and researchers far and wide, we are collecting, preserving, and providing access to a number of disparate resources regarding transportation and the COVID-19 pandemic. A new Metro Primary Resources page serves…

We Are Always Here For You With Online Resources, 24/7

To Our Metro Family, This is an unusual time for us, many of whom are either working from home or are not able to visit us in person for research and other information. You may not know that the Metro…

We Are In Overdrive: L.A. Constructs The Future, 1940-1990

“Every city has had its boom, but the history of Los Angeles…should be regarded as one continuous boom punctuated at intervals with major explosions.”  —Carey McWilliams, Southern California: An Island on the Land, 1946 Metro Transportation Library, Archives & Records…

At L.A.’s Streetcar Inauguration, Who Told 8-Year Old Shirley Temple, “Buy Yourself A New Automobile”?

LA Streetcar Inaguration featured image

This week marks the anniversary of the 1937 National Transportation Week celebrations in Los Angeles. We reviewed the event for last year’s 75th anniversary, and included video footage of child actress Shirley Temple helping out with the launch of the new PCC…

“Movers & Shakers”: Metro Transportation Library Receives National Honor For Innovative Services

Movers & Shakers - Library Journal Cover

This week, we received some great news. I have been named a 2013 Library Journal “Mover & Shaker”! Each year, just a handful of individuals are selected from thousands of information professionals to be honored as the nation’s most innovative…

At Last: All Of Los Angeles Transportation History Explained In Interactive Timeline & Interactive Organization Chart

[Above: Metro Library’s new interactive timeline for Los Angeles transit history. “X” out the introduction box and move the chronology slider along the bottom to reposition the timeline. You may click on each transit operator for more information and links…

Remembering Huell Howser: Some Archived Images Of The Region’s Official Rideshare Spokesman

Rideshare campaign featuring Huell Howser

Going back as far as at least the Gold Rush, California has been built on promotion — and we lost one of our greatest boosters this week. Television host Huell Howser criss-crossed the state promoting our diverse history and culture, uncovering…

Broadway Bound: Looking Back At Historic Streetcars On Broadway In Los Angeles’ Historic Core

Streetcar on Broadway, late 1880s

It was announced yesterday that plans to bring streetcars back to Broadway in downtown Los Angeles took a giant step forward. Business owners and residents with an approximate three-block radius of the proposed streetcar route voted to tax themselves to…