Author: Kenn Bicknell

80 Years Ago This Week: Los Angeles Welcomes (And Transports) The World To The 1932 Summer Olympics

1932 Olympic Organizing Committee official report

Millions around the globe begin to set their sights on London for the next few weeks, making this a great time to take a look back at Los Angeles’ experience with the Olympics. As one of the very few cities to…

75 Years Ago This Weekend: California Inspires The World With One Of America’s Greatest Infrastructure Projects (And Celebrations) Ever

California Highways And Public Works, May 1937

This Sunday marks the 75th anniversary of the formal opening of the Golden Gate Bridge linking San Francisco to Marin County. The iconic span was at once the greatest over-water structure in the entire world, a profound achievement in engineering…

Vault Disney: How The Magic Kingdom Showcased The Magnificent Future Of Transportation in 1958

Vault Disney: Business conference

A look back through our archives provides no shortage of historic photos, documents and other resources telling the story of transportation planning and operation in Southern California. But sometimes, we come across something very special, though not necessarily related to the…

Information On The Go: Metro Library Figures Prominently In “Go Metro Los Angeles” Free Mobile App

Free Mobile App

Nearly half of Americans now own a smartphone, so it is understandable that a tidal wave of information is coming to them through handheld devices — up from just 35% nine months ago. In response to the growing need for…

Los Angeles Isn’t Planned, It Just Happens, Right? Not So Fast!

Planning Los Angeles

“Call it ugly, call it beautiful, call it dysfunctional — but don’t call Los Angeles unplanned.” So begins a chapter titled “Challenging The Myth Of An Unplanned Los Angeles” in a new book out this week that you’ll definitely want…

20 Years Ago This Week: Southern California Rapid Transit District Employees’ Heroic Response To The Civil Unrest Of 1992

Pete Wilson Meet

This weekend, the local news will be filled with stories about the long-awaited opening of the Metro Expo Line Phase I running from downtown to La Cienega Boulevard. But another event this week in Los Angeles history is worth noting as…

Rethinking A Lot: The Design And Culture Of Parking

There are an estimated 600,000,000 passenger cars in the world, and that number is increasing every day. So, too, is Earth’s supply of parking spaces. In some cities, parking lots cover more than one-third of the metropolitan footprint. It’s official:…

75 Years Ago This Week: 10,000 Turn Out As Shirley Temple Inaugurates New PCC Streetcar Service In Los Angeles

The third week of March, 1937 had been designated “National Transportation Week” and Los Angeles was ready to roll out its new streetcars. 10,000 cheering spectators celebrated the arrival of two Presidents’ Conference Committee (PCC) streetcars at City Hall. It…

Los Angeles And The Rise Of The “Super-Commuter”: The Dramatic Increase In Our Long-Distance Workforce

One of the many attributes of libraries and archives is that they provide access to information which might not otherwise be discovered or accessed by those who benefit from it. Even though a standard Google search can return thousands or millions…

How Los Angeles Began Its Experiment With Steam-Powered Buses…Plus, Its Rare Documentary Film

Today marks the anniversary of an important experiment in the history of local transportation and alternative fuels. On this date in 1972, the Southern California Rapid Transit District took delivery of a prototype steam turbine-powered bus for a year-long demonstration…