This Sunday marks the 75th anniversary of the formal opening of the Golden Gate Bridge linking San Francisco to Marin County. The iconic span was at once the greatest over-water structure in the entire world, a profound achievement in engineering…
A look back through our archives provides no shortage of historic photos, documents and other resources telling the story of transportation planning and operation in Southern California. But sometimes, we come across something very special, though not necessarily related to the…
Nearly half of Americans now own a smartphone, so it is understandable that a tidal wave of information is coming to them through handheld devices — up from just 35% nine months ago. In response to the growing need for…
This weekend, the local news will be filled with stories about the long-awaited opening of the Metro Expo Line Phase I running from downtown to La Cienega Boulevard. But another event this week in Los Angeles history is worth noting as…
The third week of March, 1937 had been designated “National Transportation Week” and Los Angeles was ready to roll out its new streetcars. 10,000 cheering spectators celebrated the arrival of two Presidents’ Conference Committee (PCC) streetcars at City Hall. It…
Today marks the anniversary of an important experiment in the history of local transportation and alternative fuels. On this date in 1972, the Southern California Rapid Transit District took delivery of a prototype steam turbine-powered bus for a year-long demonstration…
The Transportation Research Board of the National Academies (TRB) has rolled out their Annual Meeting Online Portal. In one search, this portal allows users to quickly find all available papers, visual aids, and recordings by session, presentation, author, subject area,…
Have you ever needed to quickly put your finger on statewide transportation statistics? What percentage of Californians use public transit when commuting to work? How many transit fatalities were there in California in 2009? What percentage of California drivers use of safety belts? …
January 21st marks the anniversary of groundbreaking for the 11-mile long El Monte Busway and planning for what was billed as the “world’s first bus rapid transit station.” U.S. Transportation Secretary John A. Volpe officiated at ceremonies marking commencement of construction…
The year starts off with a look back one full century to the birth of highway planning in the state. On January 2, 1912, the seven division engineers of the California State Highway Commission met for the first time. The Commission…
