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# 7 Hidden Chapters: Unearthing Los Angeles' Secret Transportation History
Los Angeles is famously defined by its car culture, a sprawling metropolis where the automobile reigns supreme. But beneath the veneer of freeways and traffic jams lies a fascinating and diverse history of transportation that often goes overlooked. From ambitious elevated cycleways to forgotten subway lines and even a network of commuter canals, LA's past is a rich tapestry of innovative, quirky, and sometimes ill-fated attempts to move its ever-growing population.
Diving into these hidden chapters not only offers a fresh perspective on the city's development but also provides valuable insights into how past decisions continue to shape our urban landscape today. Join us as we uncover the secret history of Los Angeles mobility, revealing stories that challenge our assumptions about how Angelenos once traveled – and how they might travel in the future.
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1. The California Cycleway: A Futuristic Bike Highway That Almost Was
Imagine an elevated wooden track stretching for miles, where cyclists could speed from Pasadena to downtown Los Angeles, free from traffic and enjoying scenic views. This wasn't a futuristic fantasy but the ambitious vision of Horace Dobbins, who in the late 1890s began construction on the **California Cycleway**. Designed as a dedicated, toll-based path for bicycles, it aimed to capitalize on the booming popularity of cycling.
Sections of the cycleway were indeed built, featuring a smooth, wide surface elevated on stilts, complete with lighting for night riding. Cyclists could pay a small fee and enjoy a smooth, uninterrupted ride. However, the rapid rise of the automobile and the escalating costs of construction ultimately doomed Dobbins' dream. Only a fraction of the planned route was completed before the project was abandoned.
**Modern Connection:** The California Cycleway stands as a remarkable precursor to modern multi-modal transportation planning. Its failure highlights the overwhelming shift towards cars in the early 20th century, but its very existence provides a historical precedent for dedicated, car-free infrastructure. Understanding this legacy can inform current efforts to expand bike lanes and pedestrian pathways, demonstrating that the idea of alternative, elevated transit solutions isn't new to LA.
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2. Venice's Watery Dream: Abbot Kinney's Canals as Commuter Routes
When tobacco millionaire Abbot Kinney envisioned "Venice of America" in 1905, he wasn't just planning a picturesque resort town; he intended the canals to be a primary mode of transportation. Inspired by Venice, Italy, Kinney designed a network of saltwater canals connecting to the ocean, where residents would commute via gondolas and small electric boats, seamlessly integrating water travel into daily life.
The original Venice canals were far more extensive than the few remaining today, serving both recreational and practical purposes, allowing residents to travel from their homes to the bustling pier and commercial areas. However, as the automobile gained traction, the allure of water transit waned. Many canals were filled in during the 1920s and 30s to make way for roads and parking, sacrificing a unique urban planning concept for car accessibility.
**Modern Connection:** Venice's lost canals offer a powerful lesson in integrated urban design and the value of non-automotive transit. They remind us that LA once embraced a more pedestrian and water-centric approach to city planning. Reflecting on Kinney's vision can inspire contemporary discussions about creating walkable, bikeable, and potentially even water-friendly communities, reducing reliance on cars, and enhancing the quality of urban life.
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3. LA's Brief Underground: The Pacific Electric Subway Terminal
While modern Angelenos are familiar with the Metro Rail subway system, few realize that Los Angeles had an underground passenger railway decades earlier. The **Pacific Electric Subway Terminal**, opened in 1925, was the western terminus of the "Hollywood Subway" (also known as the Belmont Tunnel). This underground line allowed the iconic Red Cars of the Pacific Electric Railway to bypass surface street traffic, whisking passengers from downtown to the Westlake and Hollywood areas.
The terminal building, a grand Beaux-Arts structure at 417 S. Hill Street, housed underground platforms and tracks. For 30 years, it was a vital hub for commuters. However, like much of the Red Car system, the subway line fell victim to the rise of automobiles and the dismantling of public transit. It closed in 1955. Today, the terminal building still stands, repurposed as residential lofts, with some of its underground tunnels visible to those who know where to look.
**Modern Connection:** The Pacific Electric Subway Terminal serves as tangible proof of LA's early commitment to rapid transit and the potential for underground solutions. Understanding its history can fuel discussions about repurposing existing infrastructure for new transit projects or simply appreciating the layers of history beneath our feet. It's a reminder that LA's subway dreams are not new, but a continuation of a long-standing vision.
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4. The Sky-High Ambition: Mount Lowe Railway's Mountain Ascent
Long before modern trams or cable cars graced LA's mountainsides, the **Mount Lowe Railway** was an engineering marvel that ascended the rugged San Gabriel Mountains. Built by professor Thaddeus S.C. Lowe and opened in 1893, this electric scenic railway was a grand tourist attraction, featuring multiple incline sections, trestle bridges, and switchbacks that carried passengers to hotels, observatories, and breathtaking viewpoints high above the city.
The railway was a testament to early 20th-century ingenuity, attracting thousands who sought an escape from the city and unparalleled vistas. Visitors could spend days exploring the mountain resorts accessible only by the railway. However, a series of natural disasters – including fires, floods, and rockslides – coupled with the economic downturn of the Great Depression, led to its eventual closure in 1938. Today, remnants of the railway, including old tracks and foundations, can still be found by hikers in the Angeles National Forest.
**Modern Connection:** The Mount Lowe Railway showcases LA's early ambition in combining tourism with innovative transportation. It highlights the challenges of building infrastructure in dynamic natural environments and the importance of resilience. For contemporary urban planners, it underscores how leisure and recreation can drive transit development and how understanding environmental risks is crucial for long-term project viability.
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5. Before the Freeways: LA's Grand Boulevards and "Super Highways"
While the Arroyo Seco Parkway (opened in 1940) is often cited as California's first freeway, Los Angeles was grappling with rapid growth and traffic long before the Interstate Highway System. In the early 20th century, the city relied on a network of expansive boulevards and what were then considered "super highways" – wide, multi-lane arterial roads designed to move large volumes of traffic.
These thoroughfares, like Wilshire Boulevard, Sunset Boulevard, and Figueroa Street, were meticulously planned, often incorporating streetcar lines down their centers or sides. They were envisioned as grand urban arteries, connecting burgeoning neighborhoods to downtown and the coast. This era represented a different philosophy of urban mobility, one that integrated various modes of transport within the same right-of-way, rather than the car-exclusive design of later freeways.
**Modern Connection:** Examining LA's pre-freeway era offers crucial context for today's traffic challenges and urban planning debates. It reveals how the city once attempted to manage growth with multi-modal boulevards, a stark contrast to the later freeway-centric approach. This history can inform current discussions about redesigning existing arterials to be more complete streets – accommodating pedestrians, cyclists, and transit alongside cars – and finding alternatives to continuous freeway expansion.
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6. The Airship Age: When LA Dreamed of Dirigible Dominance
Los Angeles has long been at the forefront of aviation, but its early history includes a fascinating chapter dedicated to lighter-than-air craft. In the early 20th century, before commercial airplanes became dominant, LA was a hub for airship development and operations. The city's clear skies and vast open spaces made it an ideal location for testing and mooring dirigibles and blimps.
Goodyear established its West Coast blimp base in Carson, and there were serious proposals for airship terminals and routes connecting LA to other cities. These majestic flying machines were seen as a viable form of long-distance passenger and freight transport, offering a luxurious and relatively smooth journey. While the Hindenburg disaster in 1937 ultimately curtailed the public's enthusiasm for large passenger airships, LA's role in this era highlights its diverse contributions to early aerospace innovation.
**Modern Connection:** LA's flirtation with airship travel reminds us of the city's pioneering spirit in exploring diverse transportation technologies. It encourages us to look beyond conventional solutions and consider how emerging technologies, even those that seem unconventional today (like eVTOLs or hyperloop), could shape future mobility. It's a testament to LA's continuous role as a testing ground for the next big thing in transit.
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Conclusion: Unlocking LA's Mobility Future Through Its Past
Los Angeles' transportation history is far more nuanced and varied than its car-centric reputation suggests. From elevated bike paths and commuter canals to underground subways and mountain railways, the city has continuously experimented with innovative ways to move its people. These hidden chapters reveal a dynamic past, shaped by ambitious visions, technological shifts, and the relentless forces of urban growth.
By unearthing these forgotten stories, we not only gain a deeper appreciation for the complexities of LA's development but also unlock valuable insights for its future. Understanding how past transit decisions impacted neighborhoods, how alternative modes were once embraced (or discarded), and how infrastructure adapted (or failed) in the face of change can inform more sustainable, equitable, and effective transportation planning for generations to come. The secrets of LA's past truly hold keys to its future mobility.
