L.A. Surprising History of Transit Innovation

In recent years, Los Angeles has embraced mass transit as a solution to the city's legendary traffic woes. This embrace has historical precedent, however, says Sam Lubell, who examines six of L.A.'s unbuilt proposals for transit systems.

1 minute read

May 11, 2013, 11:00 AM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


Los Angeles is well known for its car culture and notorious traffic. "[I]n the midst of all this car craziness, Angelenos, their various government agencies, and several visionary designers have been proposing mass transit schemes for more than a century," says Lubell. "Some of them are incredibly innovative, some of them, well, just crazy. Now that we’re becoming more and more used to driving 0 miles per hour on the 405 freeway, and running into rush hour traffic on the 10 freeway at 2 p.m., we’re getting more and more willing to take a look at something—anything—other than the car."

Lubell examines six schemes, from a 1925 subway plan to maglev train proposals in recent decades, that he and co-curator Greg Goldin compiled as part of their upcoming exhibition, Never Built: Los Angeles, which opens at the A+D Architecture and Design Museum on July 27. 

Wednesday, May 8, 2013 in Good

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