June 22: This Date in Los Angeles Transportation History

Written by Kenn Bicknell

1922: The Los Angeles Steamship Company launches passenger and freight service between Los Angeles and San Diego.

The weekly sailing of The Yale is scheduled to take five hours with the hopes of increasing both freight and passenger traffic. More information can be found in the July 10, 1922 issue of Pacific Electric Magazine.

1994: The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority adopts the reintroduction of tokens as regular fare media after a ten-year absence.

Tokens go on sale September 9, 1994 and continue as fare media until 2005 when the introduction of a $3 day pass eclipses their popularity.

Commemorative tokens had previously been issued as fare media during the 1984 Olympics with unique designs honoring Olympic sports, in 1982 to honor Henry Huntington and from 1979-1981 for specific express bus lines and courtesy or introductory rides.

Tokens were also used by the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority from 1958 to 1964 and both Los Angeles Railway and Pacific Electric dating back to 1901 as well as the Spring & Sixth Street Railroad dating back to at least 1877.

More information can be found in the September-October, 1994 issue of Metro Moves employee news magazine.