October 5: This Date in Los Angeles Transportation History

1970:  The Southern California Rapid Transit District Board of Directors names Jack R. Gilstrap as General Manager of the organization.

 

Gilstrap serves as head of SCRTD until September 1, 1980 when he moves on to serve as Executive Vice-President of the American Public Transit Association in Washington, D.C.

More information on his 20 years of service at SCRTD, including 10 as general manager, can be found in the August, 1980 issue of Headways, the Southern California Rapid Transit District employee news magazine.

 

 

1987:  The Urban Mass transit Administration approves $123 million in federal funding for Metro Rail as part of the 1987 Transportation Appropriations bill.

The funds will be used to help build the first segment already under construction, a 4.4 mile stretch running from Union Station to MacArthur Park.

More information can be found in the November, 1987 issue of Headways, the Southern California Rapid Transit District employee news magazine.

 

 

1999: The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority asks a U.S. District Court judge to delay his order that Metro purchase 297 new buses and place them into service within 30 days.  Judge Hatter’s ruling had been part of the Consent Decree, but Metro states that it “requires achievement of an impossibility,” and that the agency would breach statutory and contractual obligations if it were to meet the court order.  More information can be found in the October 5, 1999 MyMetro employee news digest.