Los Angeles Traffic, Transit and Transportation Plans, 1911-1957

The following documents are the key resources in Los Angeles transit and transportation planning history prior to the LAMTA publicly-governed era.  The Library and Archive continues to digitize them as they are acquired to provide full-text access online:

Date Title Prepared By: Commissioned By:
1911 Preliminary Report Upon The Transportation Problem of Los Angeles Bion J. Arnold Los Angeles City Council
1914 Rail Transit George A. Damon, W. L. Newton City Planning Association
1915 Study of Street Traffic Conditions in the City of Los Angeles and the Practicability of Subsurface or Elevated Construction for Urban and Interurban Transit Facilities E. W. Bannister Los Angeles Railways?
1920 Report on Railroad Grade Crossings Elimination and Passenger Freight Terminals in Los Angeles California Railroad Commission, Richard Sachse, Chief Engineer California Railroad Commission
1922 The Los Angeles Plan: A Selected Traffic Program Los Angeles Traffic Commission Los Angeles Traffic Commission
1922 Study and Plan of Relief of the Street Traffic Congestion in the City of Los Angeles, Calif. John M. Terrass University of California, Berkeley
1923 Report on Some of the Problems of Operation of the Los Angeles Railway Joe R. Ong Los Angeles Railway
1924 A Major Traffic Street Plan for Los Angeles Olmsted, Bartholomew, Cheney Traffic Commission of City and County
1925 Report and Recommendations on a Comprehensive Rapid Transit Plan for City and County of Los Angeles Kelker, DeLeuw & Company City Council and Board of Supervisors
 1926 Traffic Problem in Los Angeles Clarence R. Smethen The Municipal Employee
1929 County of Los Angeles Regional Plan of Highways, Section 2-E, San Gabriel Valley County Regional Planning Commission County Regional Planning Commission
1930 Conference on the Rapid Transit Question
 County Regional Planning Commission County Regional Planning Commission
1930 Parks, Playgrounds and Beaches for the Los Angeles Region
 Olmsted, Bartholomew Citizen’s Committee on Parks, Playgrounds and Beaches
1931 County of Los Angeles Regional Plan of Highways, Section 4, Long Beach-Redondo Area County Regional Planning Commission County Regional Planning Commission
1933 Report on a Rapid Transit System for Los Angeles Donald M. Baker Central Business District Association
1934 Report of a Highway Traffic Survey in the County of Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commission County Regional Planning Commission
1935 Report on the Public Transportation Requirements in Los Angeles California Railroad Commission California Railroad Commission
1935 A Study Of The Feasibility and Desirability of a City Wide Motor Coach System to Replace Existing Local Transportation Systems in the City of Los Angeles Board of Public Utilities & Transportation Los Angeles City Council
1937 Report of a Highway Traffic Survey in the County of Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commission County Regional Planning Commission
1937 Traffic Survey, Los Angeles Metropolitan Area Automobile Club of Southern California Automobile Club of Southern California
1937 Subway, Elevated – or What? Andy Hamilton Los Angeles Times
1938-1939 Report on Traffic and Transportation Survey WPA Transportation Engineering Board, Stone & Webster, Madigan-Hyland, Donald M. Baker Citizen’s Transportation Survey Committee and City of Los Angeles
1939 A Transit Program for the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area: Presenting Recommendations For Development of Facilities for Private and Mass Transit and a Plan for Coordination of Mass Transportation Operations
 Transportation Engineering Board, Stone & Webster, Madigan-Hyland Citizen’s Transportation Survey Committee and City of Los Angeles
1939 An Analysis of Proposals to Provide Rapid and Adequate Mass Transportation for the Los Angeles Area Evan W. Thomas University of California at Los Angeles
1940 General Conclusions and Recommendations Concerning Mass Transit in the Los Angeles Area Board of Public Utilities and Transportation, City of Los Angeles Board of Public Utilities and Transportation, City of Los Angeles
1940 Report on Urban Mass Passenger Transportation Facilities and Requirements in Los Angeles. Vol. 2: Analytical Survey of Existing Facilities California Railroad Commission California Railroad Commission
1941 A Comprehensive Report on the Master Plan of Highways for the Los Angeles County Regional Planning District. Volume 1: The Plan and Its Preparation
 County Regional Planning Commission County Regional Planning Commission
1941 A Parkway Plan for the City of Los Angeles and The Metropolitan Area City of Los Angeles Planning Commission City of Los Angeles Planning Commission
1941-1942 WPA Traffic Survey County Regional Planning Commission an I.S. Shattuck County Regional Planning Commission
1942 Cities Are For People: The Los Angeles Region Plans For Living Mel Scott, Alvin Lustig, Bob Holdeman Pacific Southwest Academy
1942 Mass Transit Facilities and the Master Plan of Parkways City of Los Angeles Planning Commission City of Los Angeles Planning Commission
1942 Results of Emergency Transportation Survey California Railroad Commission California Railroad Commission
1943 Freeways for the Region County Regional Planning Commission County Regional Planning Commission
1944 Business Districts County Regional Planning Commission County Regional Planning Commission
1944 Transit Study, Los Angeles Metropolitan Area Central Business District Association Central Business District Association
1945 Parkway Transit Lines in the Los Angeles Central Business District Central Business District Association Central Business District Association
1945 Downtown Los Angeles Parking Study Downtown Business Men’s Association of Los Angeles Downtown Business Men’s Association of Los Angeles
1945 City of Los Angeles Recommended Program for Improvement of Transportation and Traffic Facilities in the Metropolitan Area
 DeLeuw, Lewis, Ong City of Los Angeles
1946 Interregional, Regional, Metropolitan Parkways: Presenting Plans And Factual Data in Support of a System of Parkways for the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area
 Los Angeles Metropolitan Parkway Engineering Committee Los Angeles Metropolitan Parkway Engineering Committee
1946 Suggested Down Town Traffic Solution Program Plant Engineering Co. Presented to Los Angeles Railway Corp.
1945 Traffic Facility Improvements Central Business District Association Central Business District Association
1946 Los Angeles Parkway and Transit System Central Business District Association Central Business District Association
1947 Traffic: Historical Summary Los Angeles Traffic Association Los Angeles Traffic Association
1947 The Los Angeles Traffic and Transit Problem Town Hall Town Hall
1947 Report on Engineering Survey of Operations and Facilities of Los Angeles Transit Lines
 California Public Utilities Commission California Public Utilities Commission
1947 Basic Data for Formation of Rapid Transit Action Group Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce
 1948  Rail Rapid Transit Now! Rapid Transit Action Group Rapid Transit Action Group
1948 Traffic: Traffic Problems in Los Angeles Metropolitan Area Los Angeles Traffic Association Los Angeles Traffic Association
1948 A Report on Statistical Data and Trends Applying to the Transit Industry of the United States Arthur C. Jenkins Pacific Electric Railway Company
1948 Pacific Electric Modernization Plan Public Service Survey Pacific Electric Railway Company
1948 Passenger Loading Standards-An Analysis of Their Effect Upon Rail and Motor Coach Lines of Pacific Electric Railway Company
 Arthur C. Jenkins Pacific Electric Railway Company
1948 Engineering and Economic Features of Passenger Transportation Operations – Venice Short Line Arthur C. Jenkins Pacific Electric Railway Company
1948 Street Traffic Management for Los Angeles: Appraisal and Recommendations
 Traffic Survey Committee, City of Los Angeles City of Los Angeles
1949 Final Report of the Assembly Interim Committee for the Investigation of Traffic Control California Assembly Interim Committee (Burkhalter Report) California Assembly
1949 Rapid Transit for Metropolitan Areas And Related Problems: Preliminary and Supplemental Report No. II
 Assembly Fact-Finding Committee on Highways, Streets and Bridges California Assembly
1949 Report on Engineering and Economic Features of Passenger Transportation Operations, Service and Facilities…: Pasadena…
 Arthur C. Jenkins Pacific Electric Railway Company
1949 Engineering and Economic Features of Passenger Transportation Operations – Western District Arthur C. Jenkins Pacific Electric Railway Company
1949 Engineering and Economic Features of Passenger Transportation Operations – Santa Ana Line Arthur C. Jenkins Pacific Electric Railway Company
1949 Report on Operations, Facilities, Organization, Financial Status and Modernization Program of Pacific Electric Railway Company, Los Angeles, California
 Arthur C. Jenkins Pacific Electric Railway Company
1949 Nonproductive Use of Investment, Schedule Man Hours Analysis and Traffic Data Arthur C. Jenkins Pacific Electric Railway Company
1949 Supplemental Data Relating to Passenger Loading Standards and Resume of Evidence on the Subject Arthur C. Jenkins Pacific Electric Railway Company
1949 Application for Authority to Make Certain Changes in Passenger Rail and Motor Coach Service, Operations and Facilities and Pacific Electric Rlwy Co. Modernization Program Detail Papers Arthur C. Jenkins Pacific Electric Railway Company
1949 Rapid Transit for Metropolitan Areas And Related Problems: Preliminary and Supplemental Report No. II of the Assembly Fact-Finding Committee on Highways, Streets and Bridges Assembly Fact-Finding Committee on Highways, Streets and Bridges, Ernest R. Geddes, Chairman California State Assembly
1950 In The Matter of the Application of Pacific Electric Railway Company, Los Angeles California, Before The Board of Public Utilities and Transportation of the City of Los Angeles: For Authority To Make Certain Changes In Passenger Rail and Motor Coach Service, Operations and Facilities Pursuant to Franchise Ordinance No. 90344 Arthur C. Jenkins Pacific Electric Railway Company
1951 Information For Prospective Consultants – Los Angeles County Transit Survey: Index To Traffic And Transit Reports
 University Presidents’ Advisory Committee On Los Angeles County Transportation Problems Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
1951 Final Report of the Assembly Interim Committee For Investigation of Traffic Control California State Assembly California State Assembly
1953 Monorail Systems for Mass Rapid Transit: Presented Before the Regional Planning and Development Section of Town Hall, Los Angeles, California, August 12, 1953
 Gibbs & Hill, Inc. Regional Planning and Development Section-Town Hall
1953 Express Busses on Freeways
 Los Angeles Metropolitan Traffic Association Board of Directors, Los Angeles Metropolitan Traffic Association
1954 Report to the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority on a Monorail Rapid Transit Line for Los Angeles, January 15, 1954
 Coverdale & Colpitts Ruscardon Engineers, Gibbs & Hill, Inc. Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority
1954 Express Busses in Subways: 1954 Supplemental Study of Mass Transportation
 Los Angeles Metropolitan Traffic Association Board of Directors, Los Angeles Metropolitan Traffic Association
1954 Mass Rapid Transit for Metropolitan Los Angeles: Analysis of the Problem, Summary of Economic Engineering Report, Plan of Action for 1954 Ralph P. Merritt Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority
1955 Symposium on Mass Rapid Transit for Los Angeles University of Southern California, “SC Engineer” – –
1956 A Study of Express Bus Operation on Freeways
 Wolfgang S. Homburger Institute of Transportation and Engineering, University of Southern California
1957 Transportation in the Los Angeles Area Citizens Traffic and Transportation Committee for the Extended Los Angeles Area Mayor Poulson and City Council, City of Los Angeles and County Board of Supervisors
1957 Supplemental Study of Mass Transportation: Express Buses on Elevated Roadways Los Angeles Metropolitan Traffic Association Board of Directors, Los Angeles Metropolitan Traffic Association