October 14: This Date in Los Angeles Transportation History

1885:  The Second Street Cable Railroad Company begins operations one week after testing operations. It begins service with 80 trips per day, operating out of a power station and car house at Second and Boylston Streets.The line featured the steepest cable gradient in North America, a 27.7% slope between Hope Street and Bunker Hill Avenue.

The railroad connected with a steam line, the Cahuenga Valley Railroad, which ran to Hollywood.

More information about the demise of the railroad can be found here.

Los Angeles Consolidated Electric Railway (#104) on University Line, 1893 (Click to enlarge)

1890:  Los Angeles Consolidated Electric Railroad Company obtains a franchise from the city authorities, extending over a period of 50 years.

1999:  Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority‘s Metro Trip planner becomes fully operational and added to the Metro.net website.

Customers can now choose any starting and ending point in Los Angeles County and within seconds receive a detailed itinerary for making their trip, complete with timetable information, maps and fare requirements.

The new feature allows customers to access the largest and most accurate database of transit information in the county — the same one used by Metro information agents to answer thousands of telephone inquiries each day.