Hidden History of Transportation in Los Angeles

Los Angeles transportation history extends beyond its well-known freeways, Union Station, Los Angeles International Airport, and ports to include numerous lesser-known transit stories. The region has seen both successes—such as the Vincent Thomas Bridge and Mac Barnes's Ground Link buspool—and failures, including the Santa Monica Freeway Diamond Lane and the Oxnard-Los Angeles Caltrain commuter rail. Several proposed projects never materialized, including a propeller-driven monorail and a freeway built in the paved bed of the Los Angeles River, despite efforts by public promoters. Historical transit innovations included Horace Dobbins's elevated California Cycleway in Pasadena and Mike Kadletz's Pink Buses, which served Orange County children traveling to the beach. Charles P. Hobbs explores these and other forgotten episodes from Los Angeles-area transportation history.