November 25: This Date in Los Angeles Transportation History

1896:  A reconnaissance report and map for a proposed and recommended State highway system are submitted to the Governor.  One year before, a State Bureau of Highways was created to acquire and construct roads.

Under authority of legislative action, the Governor appointed R.C. Irvine of Sacramento, Marsden Manson of San Francisco, and J.L. Maude of Riverside to the Bureau. They drove over 7,000 miles into every county in the state to prepare their report.

A review of the steps taken to develop a state highway system can be found in a 25th anniversary report in the September, 1937 issue of California Highways & Public Works.

PE subway tunnel

Pacific Electric subway tunnel portal, 1927 (Click for more information)

1925:  In planning stages for 10 years and a construction period of one year, Pacific Electric opens Los Angeles first subway, a one mile tunnel from Glendale and Sunset to the Subway Terminal Building downtown, with hopes of attracting investment for more.  The last train ran through the tunnel in 1955.

There were some later proposals to use the funnel for a downtown people mover system linked to park and ride lots, but the tunnel was later rendered unusable for transit purposes when high rise build foundations severed the tunnel.  It has been used by the Federal government to house civil defense supplies and currently sits below residential lofts.