To Our Metro Family, This is an unusual time for us, many of whom are either working from home or are not able to visit us in person for research and other information. You may not know that the Metro…
Author: Metro Digital Resources Librarian
Los Angeles in the 21st Century: How Much Do the City’s 1988 Forecast and Transportation Recommendations Hold Up?
Tomorrow is the 30th anniversary of the submission to Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley the final report of The Los Angeles 2000 Committee, LA 2000: A City for the Future. A compelling read in its entirety, the report is a…
How Silent Film Star Harold Lloyd “Flew” Through 1924 Multi-Modal Los Angeles
The silent film era of the 1910’s and 1920’s was a period of explosive growth for Los Angeles. For example, the number of automobiles registered in Los Angeles County quadrupled in just eight years, from 1914-1922. This transition to…
100 Years Ago Today: The Tragic Accident That Changed Los Angeles Streetcars Forever
At approximately 9:20 p.m. on this date in 1913, a Pacific Electric streetcar on the Venice Short Line slammed into another one on the same track just 50 feet east of Vineyard Junction. The accident, near the present-day intersection of Pico Boulevard…
Changes Are Coming To Our Transportation Headlines: Same Great Content In A New, Improved Format
In our quest to continue bringing you news and information in a timely and efficient manner, we are preparing to move the primary format for the Los Angeles Transportation Headlines from Blogger to Paper.li. This change is scheduled for Monday, June…
We Are In Overdrive: L.A. Constructs The Future, 1940-1990
“Every city has had its boom, but the history of Los Angeles…should be regarded as one continuous boom punctuated at intervals with major explosions.” —Carey McWilliams, Southern California: An Island on the Land, 1946 Metro Transportation Library, Archives & Records…
At L.A.’s Streetcar Inauguration, Who Told 8-Year Old Shirley Temple, “Buy Yourself A New Automobile”?
This week marks the anniversary of the 1937 National Transportation Week celebrations in Los Angeles. We reviewed the event for last year’s 75th anniversary, and included video footage of child actress Shirley Temple helping out with the launch of the new PCC…
“Movers & Shakers”: Metro Transportation Library Receives National Honor For Innovative Services
This week, we received some great news. I have been named a 2013 Library Journal “Mover & Shaker”! Each year, just a handful of individuals are selected from thousands of information professionals to be honored as the nation’s most innovative…
At Last: All Of Los Angeles Transportation History Explained In Interactive Timeline & Interactive Organization Chart
[Above: Metro Library’s new interactive timeline for Los Angeles transit history. “X” out the introduction box and move the chronology slider along the bottom to reposition the timeline. You may click on each transit operator for more information and links…
Remembering Huell Howser: Some Archived Images Of The Region’s Official Rideshare Spokesman
Going back as far as at least the Gold Rush, California has been built on promotion — and we lost one of our greatest boosters this week. Television host Huell Howser criss-crossed the state promoting our diverse history and culture, uncovering…