August 4: This Date in Los Angeles Transportation History

1947:  The Los Angeles-North Hollywood-Van Nuys via Riverside Drive Motor Coach Line is established.  Just nine months later, strong demand leads to increased mid-day and Saturday service.

More information can be found in the July-August, 1947 issue of Pacific Electric Magazine and the May-June, 1948 issue of Pacific Electric Magazine.
 
 
1970:  The Board of Directors of the Southern California Rapid Transit District vote unanimously to appoint Jack Gilstrap, Assistant General Manager in charge of rapid transit development, to assume the position of General Manager starting October 5.

The appointment follows the resignation of General Manager Samuel B. Nelson, who returns to private engineering consulting.

More information can be found in the July-August, 1970 issue of the Southern California Rapid Transit District Employee Magazine.
 
 
2005:  A demonstration test ride for the media is held on the Metro Orange Line in anticipation of its October opening.

Dignitaries ride the entire route from North Hollywood to Warner Center.  More information can be found in the August 4, 2005 issue of the MyMetro employee news digest.
 
 
2009:  Metro begins installing turnstile fare gates at four Metro Red/Purple Line subway stations to ensure that passenger traffic moves smoothly while still achieving the goals of preventing fare evasion and improving transit station security.

The turnstiles are installed at Union Station, Pershing Square, Westlake, and Wilshire/Normandie stations.  Plans call for installation of a total of 379 fare gates in all stations on the subway, Metro Green Line, and key light rail stations on the Metro Blue Line and Metro Gold Line..  More information can be found in the August 4, 2009 issue of the MyMetro employee news digest.