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 these materials as they are acquired to provide full-text access online. Our current resources extend until 1957, with intentions to include resources through 1971 when the EPA was passed.

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