October 16: This Date in Los Angeles Transportation History

1904:  The 32-mile rail connection between the city of Huntington Beach and Los Angeles is completed, serving as the southern terminus of the Pacific Electric Railway network.  Prior to the line opening, travelers from Los Angeles to Huntington Beach (population: 800) needed to head to North Long Beach and then along the “Alamitos Extension,” as shown in the map below.

More information can be found in the 25th anniversary article in the July 10, 1929 issue of Pacific Electric Magazine.

 

 

2007:  A ribbon-cutting ceremony marks the formal opening of the transit-oriented development atop the Wilshire/Vermont Station.

The $136 million mixed-use project includes 449 apartments and more than 36,000 square feet of retail space.  More information can be found in the October 16, 2007 issue of the MyMetro employee news digest.