August 14: This Date in Los Angeles Transportation History

2000:  The Democratic National Convention opens in Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority provides 100 of the 275 buses needed to transport more than 20,000 delegates and officials for the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles.

The buses, chartered to the Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau, experienced no problems on the road, even during the many demonstrations taking place near the convention site.

122 operators, 4 supervisors and mechanics support the special service.

Meanwhile, the Metro Rail system feels the impact of the Convention as delegates and protesters converge in downtown Los Angeles.

Thirty-two specially trained LACMTA ambassadors are stationed at a number of Metro Rail stations during the week to help passengers unfamiliar with the system.

Unfortunately, the Convention coincides with the first (and unrelated) homicide in ten years of Metro Rail operation.

Additional information can be found in the August 16, 2000 issue of the MyMetro employee news digest and the May 31, 2000 Board Box item, along with security considerations discussed in the August 14, 2000 issue of the MyMetro employee news digest.