As Traffic Grows, LA's Resistance To Subways Melts

For years, California Rep. Henry Waxman has been an "immovable barrier" to plans to build a subway from downtown LA to the westside. Now that traffic is nearly unbearable, he's reconsidering his position.

1 minute read

December 1, 2005, 7:00 AM PST

By Robert Martin


"For two decades, one legislator in Washington, D.C., has stood as an immovable barrier to the long-discussed plans to build a subway from downtown Los Angeles to the Westside.

But now, with traffic gridlocked in his district and the Westside in the midst of a continuing development boom that promises to bring even more congestion, Rep. Henry A. Waxman is having second thoughts.

...Other cities, too, have overcome previous resistance to mass transit on the Westside. Early this year, Beverly Hills and West Hollywood officials said the MTA should revive subway building as a way to ease the region's transportation problems."

Tuesday, November 29, 2005 in The Los Angeles Times

Lake Powell with much of the water evaporated.

Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River

Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.

October 30, 2026 - Yale Environment 360

A road in north eastern Nebraska with power lines on either side, and grassy fields.

Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity

Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.

November 6, 2026 - Grist

People walking in downtown St. Louis, walking past shops.

Move over, LA: St. Louis gears up for Olympics, invests millions in downtown redevelopment

The Missouri city will host the 2028 Olympic soccer group stage and knockout matches.

November 1, 2026 - Smart Cities Dive

A crowd of people cheering for an unseen performer.

‘No clear next steps’ for Chicago's permanent festival grounds

Eleventh Ward Ald. Nicole Lee has suggested Soldier Field as a possible location for the permanent event space.

45 minutes ago - Chicago Sun Times

Construction in Hawaii, with cranes in front of a lush mountain.

California, Hawaii, Rhode Island approve housing propositions

Hawaii and Rhode Island each approved their sole proposition, while California approved two of its three.

1 hour ago - Smart Cities Dive

An Amtrak train pulls into a station in chicago.

Officials claim feds 'rushed' Amtrak environmental review

Amtrak plans to move their Chicago maintenance facility from an industrial area to a residential one.

2 hours ago - Block Club Chicago

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.