LIVE where you like .. .WORK where you please

An Immed iattl Program by The Rapid Transit Action Group, Los A~geles Chamber. of Commen~e-CoClrdinalor

February, 1948

._.__._--_ _ _----

Foreword

THE RAPID TRANSIT ACTION GROUP ... prepared this book

and made the plans outlined in the following pages because the Los An­

geles community needs and must have, now, a rail rapid transit system.

There are three ways to move peollie daily in acommunity-by auto, by bus, and by rail. Th~

~roup is convinced tMl a combination of all threeis necessary. Autos are too expensive for mostpeople. Both autos and buses congest the streets.Rails separated from all other traffic are a mustwhen a city becomes as large as Los Angeles andits sisler communities.

The Metropolitan Traffic and Transit Committeeof the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, inSeptember, 1947, called for n mutually-partici­pating agency to be formed to devise a plan fo r

rail rapid transit, and a method of financing.

During the following months, scores of trainedengineers have worked quietly and diligently. Al­ternate methods of moving millions living here

were tesled and discarded. Conservative conclu·sions were reached as to patronage, costs, revenuesand the risks involved in financing.The conclusions;

IT CAN BE DONE.

IT MUST BE DONE NOW.

This report has the approval of the members o£the RTAG as individuals, but not necessarily intheir official capacities. It is subject to the ap­proval of the various governmental agencies in­volved. Alter the resu ltant public hearings, we\\'ill be sure that all people o£ the communities in·volved will be satisfied that their interests wilT bebest served by the final plan.

(Signed) LERoy M. EDWARDS

THE GROUP INCLUDES:

HE310.L7R28c.3Archiv(

FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

S. V. Cortelyou, Division of HighwaysWilliam H. Gorman, Public Utilities Commissi01~

FROM THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES

William J. Fox, Regional Planning Commission

}'ROM THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES

Mayor Fletcner BowronLloyd Aldrich, City EngineerK. Charles Bean, Board of Public UtilitiesCharles B. Bennett, Citr Planning CommissionFrank Gillelen, Presidenl, Board of Public Works

---31418

NOV 2It 2lJD1f

Jim Wilson, Board of Public Works

FROll'f TRANSIT COM PANIES

Slanley Lanham, L. A. Transit LinesOscar A. Smith, Pacific Electric

AND CITIZENS

LeRoy M. Edwards, Group ChairmanJames L. Beebe, Chairman, Finance CommitteeNeil Petree, Chairman, Metropolitan Traffic and

Transportation CommitteeHomer H. Grant, Con$ultantWilliam M. Jeffers, ConsultantHarry Morrison, Group Secretary

Rail Rapid Transit is a Must ...

Until the freeway program was as·sured, the future of transportation inthe Los Angeles metropolitan area wasdark. Despite valiant efforts by ourCity and County officials, and largepurchases of equipment by our tran~it

companies, street traffic is strangling

FREEWAYS ARE BASICthe normal pulse of the area. Freewayswill move thousands of automobilesalld persons per hour with great sav·ings in time and money-blLt in thisarea we count our problems in mil·lions. Freeways are basic. They areimperative to the growth of the city.

With buses moving thousands more onfreeways, a normal area with a normalpopulation alld a llormal rate ofgrowth might be able to alleviateits transportation problems for manyyears. The Los Angeles area is notnormal; it is unique. '

OUR GROWTH IS PHENOMENALThe migration of people into the LosAngeles metropolitan area is unparal­leled in the history of the world. Weare growing at the rate of about 10,500persons per month. We are absorbingthe equivalent of a new city each year.

We now have 4,000,000 in the metro­politan area. The poplation here, ex·puts say, will he from 6 to 7 million'by 1960. This means that where thereare now 2 cars, Lhere will be 3; wherethere are now 6 buses within a block.,

there will be 9; where there are now10 people waiting for 8 streetcar, therewill be 15. Autos, buses, and streetcarscan hardly move the people who livehere now. Tbey will be stalled in theyears to come.

ONLY RAILS CAN DO THE JOB

Automobiles on 3 lanes of a freeway will move 7,000persons per hou r in one di rection figuri ng 1.7 persons percar. Buses operating at20·second intervals will move about10,000 persons per hour. A rail line in the center of thatfreeway inserted at a fractiollal additional cost, will move30,000 persons per hour. Auto capacily is limited becauseit is im~ossible to find places for all the cars to park. Buscapacity is much greater but they also congest the streetsin which they usuaIly must operate after they leave thefreeways. Rail capacity is practically unlimited becausecars caD run in trains, and the trains call run in subways.Bus and train passengers have no parking problem.

THIS MEANS PLANNING

Rapid transit systems do nOl grow on trees. Neither doharbors, great water systems, or power. They all requireplanning. No great populous area can exist without a har·bor, waler, power, and transportation. Harbor, water andpower facilities have been built hut a blueprint for railrapid transit is still needed. The community must plan andact now or the sleeping giant will never truly waken.

LOS ANGELESMADE. TH ESE. PLAN S

WHEN IT HAD PGROWN THIS BIG.

t.--- \'\--<;; ~ C \"""" - . ~_((' I

HAR80R WATER_. 95,000 1,000,000

FOR A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE AND WORKOur people must have rail rapid tran·sit to take full advantage of the stilllimitless area where we make ourhomes. It is every man's desire to havea plOL of ground lree from the grindof factory and office. He wants to make

his family secure. He wants lime toplay and he has pride in his own fire·side. Rail rapid transit will developmany new communities and will en­hance the growth of old. Our peopleneed not huddle in the shadow of office

1

buildi ngs nor gather close to the fac·tories. Rai) rapid lransit will make itpossible for us to live where we likeand work where we please.

The" Proposed New SystelTI •••

ECONOMY-The most economicalconstruction for a rail rapid transitsystem in the meLropolitan area is inlhe center strip of the planned free·ways. None of the highway·user taxeswi II be used to pay for any of lhe costof the system.

6. East By·Pass.

7. In portions of the HollywoodParkway as follows:

The ideal route to Hollywood and tothe San Fernando Valley is from theHill St. Terminal in a subway to a

point about 1000 feet west of GlendaleBlvd. on the Hollywood Parkway,thence along the parkway to aboutHarold Way, thence off the parkwayin private right-of-way and cut-and·cover subway along Selma Street tothe site of the proposed Crenshaw

DESIGN-Each dual.purpose free­way with facilities for autos and railswill be designed to specifications ap­proved by the State Division of Hi~h­ways. All safety features in the mostmodern freeway will be incorporatedinto these highways. The wider cenLerstrip for rail operation will, in fact,Le an added safety feature and therai Is will not interfere in any way withautomobile traffic.

ROUTES-Rail lines are recom·mended where ultimate patronage willjustify the cost of installation. Thissystem call be expanded, iI necessary.Bus lines will operate on the outerreaches of freeways, connecting to theterminals of the rail lines as finallydeterIl1i ned.

Bus lines may operate from interven·ing areas and supplement rail serviceto major centers. They may also oper­ate on other radial and crosstown free­ways where they can provide servicemore effectively or where patronagedoes not warrant rail service.

Rail operation is recommended on thefollowin~ freeways:

1. Santa Monica Parkway.

2. Olympic Parkway-While thisoperation is shown as a rail line,fulure conditions will determinewhether it should he developed asa rail or bus rapid transit route.

3. Inglewood Parkway.

4. Harbor Parkway.

S. Ramona Parkway.

Typical operation in an e.xpreseway ... Note so/ety features of space lOT disabled (1IlJ,&osand wide Jtrip between opposing auu>TTwbile lanes.

Typical 8tatlon ... SUT/ace transit will feed Tail rapid transit for fast operation.

2

Cross-seelio" of downtown subway ... Stations will be about 2 blocks lipart.

-.-~-~ - ----- -_:=". --~,_'-~-~I ,__ -- _ ...--~Parkway, thence north to Cahuenga

Pass in private right-oI.way, or in theCrenshaw Parkway, if available.

If present construction precludes useof the Hollywood Parkway east ofVermont Ave., the rail lines shouldrun in a subway from the Hill St. Ter­minal to the intersection of the SantaMonica and Hollywood Parkways,unless they can be placed in the SantaMonica Parkway without delayingcompletion of the rail route.

Alternate routes are either more ex·pensive, offer less service to the pub·lie, or would delay rail construction.

The following routes will be operatedin privale right.of-way:

1. To Long Beach and San Pedro. Thisroute will initially connect with theEast By-Pass and may ultimatelyconnect with the Harhor Parkwayat Imperial Blvd.

2. To Bellflower, via the Santa Annline connecting into the East By­Pass_

3. To "Pasadena and Monrovia. Thisroute will connect to the East By­Pass and may ultimately run intothe Hill 51. Subway.

4.. To Burbank and Glendale, operat-ing into the Hill St. Subway.

The routes operated in private right­of-way will be immeasurably im·proved by grade separati.ons andtra in-contro lied traffic si gnals.

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES­With the above facilities in the free·ways and in private right-of-way itwill be necessarr to provide adequateterminal and distribution facilities in

the downtown area. The minimumsh au Id be su bs tan tia II y as recom­mended in 1945 by Charles "E. De­Leuw, employed as a consultant by theCity of Los Angeles to study the trans­portation requirements of the LosAngeles metropolitan area. This in­cludes;

1. A roil line ill the East By-Pass tothe 6th alld Main ~l. Terminal fromAliso 51. on the north to Washing­ton Blvd. on th~ south.

2. A subway in Broadway from thevic; nity of Ord SI. 10 the vicinity of14.lh St. with connections into EastlsI St., into Main St. via BroadwayPI., to the Harbor and InglewoodParkways and possibly 10 the Olym­pic Pa.rkway.

3. Expansion of the Hill SI. SubwayTerminal to provide additionalcapacity.

3

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4·. Pedestrian subways connecting IheBroadway subway to Hill andSpring Sts. at each station.

Increased flexibility of operation andimproved distribution of passengerswould resull from an additional sub­way under Hill Sl. which would haveconnections to the Hill Sl. Terminaland might be c,onnected to either, orpossibly bOlh, the freeways at thesoutherl y side of the business d,istrictal~d the rapid transit roules to thenorth and east.

The eSlimated cost of such facilitieshas been included in the amountswhich it is be\ie.ved should be covered

by over·all financing powers of the

district. They shou Id be included in

thorough studies to be made by inde·pendent engineers before the nnal

construction plan is determined upon.

Equipment will be Fast and Modern ...SPEED-Speed is a requisite for a

successful rapid transit system. It is

meamred not so much in miles per

hour as it is in the number of minutes

it lakes to m(we passengers from one

point to another. The number of min­

ules is determined by the speed of the

car, its acceleration and deceleration

rates. the number of stops, and the

ease with which it may be loaded or

unloaded. The ideal car for Los An­

geles should be designed for a top

speed of about 50 miles an hour.

ACCELERATION-The car will be

able to increase its speed by ahout

3~ miles an hour every second. This

means that it will be able to get up Lo

top speeds very quickly. Despite this

rapid acceleration, tbe getaway wi 11 be

smooth and free from jerking.

LOADING-The car is designed for

rapid, sale, loading and unloading

from either high· or low-level plat·

forms.

SAFETY-The doors will have "sen­

sitive edges" to avoid passenger in­

juries. The car's low center of gravity,

its structural design, the wider aisles,'

llnd safety glass wi II reduce the risk

of injury.

Wide vision windshields and rapid

brakini: will reduce the risk of acci·

dents.

COMFORT AND QUIETNESS­The wheels on Lhese modern cars willbe built with rubber inserts. They will

be relatively noiseless. Throughout the

car there will be a lavish use of rub­ber mountings. The resilient wheels

lake ur road shock. Coil springs and

sLabi lizers will tend to eliminate ex·

cessive and sharp swaying. The cars

will have improved ventilalion sys·

tems, alld high intensity lighting for

ease in reading. The cars will be wider

than most of those now in use and the

seaLs will be larger and more comfort­

able.

APPEARANCE-The cars will hestreamlined and may be articulated.

They can be connected Lo operate in

trains. The cars will be of the low-floor

type. Results of latest experiments in

the llse of colors LO ease rider fatigue

will be incorporated in car interiors.

Two·car orticnlated units can be operated in trains to provide a scat lor e~clY passenger.

Benefits will be General ...To the RideT:1. The person who lives within walking distance

of Cl rapid transit station.

2. The person who will ride a surface transit vehicleto the rapid transit station.

3. The average person who has one car: and has beenforced to use that car for his transportation.

4. The person who wiLL continue to use a surfacetransit vehicle.

5. The person who must continue to use anautomobile-the salesman, the buyer, orprofessional man.

BECAUSE-He has easy access to the rapid transitservice. His riding time will be cut tremendously.

BECAUSE-The total time of the surface and therapid transit ride will be a great deal less than thepresent transil tim~. When the rapid transit linesare installed, new reeder services are bound todevelop where the need arises.

BECAUSE-With the regular schedules which rail rapidtransit makes possible he can be ariven to and fromthe train with no waiting time. He will find thal thetime it takes him to ride the rapid transit will generallybe less than the time it takes him to drive and park his car.This means that his car can be lefl at home for his family.

BECAUSE-Surface congestion will be reduced. Therunning time will be less for surface cars, especiallythose entering a downtown subway.

BECAUSE-Those who 00 not have to use automobileswill be attracted to rail rapid transit service. This willmake driving easier and will reduce competition foyavailable parking space in congested areas.

To the Community and its Citizens:Rail rapid transit will make it possible for more people to Jive in the community,

thus increasing the community wealth. Trading areas will be expanded. Property values

will be stabilized both in business and residential seclions. Rapid transit makes a safer

ride possible for both transit and automobile rider. When the people of the community

find they are able to ride to and from their work for % the cost of driving, the savings

are available for better living. Its constant availability al 10\" cost makes rail rapid

transit extremely important even to occasional users. And, because 01 it.s almost

lLnl,imited capacity" a rail rapid transit system i$ an invaluable necessily during times

oj n:ational' t /iergen~y. ~..5

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TE"TATIVE DlsTR'cT BOUNDARIES

LEGEND

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LEGEND:

RAIL SUBWAy·· ..

RAIL RAPID TRANSIT ROUTES - - -

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Here are the Time Savings ...These schedules are based on peak running times from the Los Angeles downtown areafor purposes of comparison. Time savings between intermediate poi1!iS are in proportion.

1-~-I ~ e~ MEl

Present Presenl Proposed RailRail Bus Rail SavingB

Holly"'ood (local) ............... 40 15 25(express) ............... 36 10 26

N. Hollywood (local) ............... 66 30 36(express) ............... 59 50 19 40

Van Nuys (local) ............... 91 45 46(express) ............... 88 71 34 54

Beverly Hills ...................... 59 39 17 42Santa Monica ...................... 70 72 30 40Cui \'er City ........................ 4-3 39 18 25Venice ........................... 58 28 30Manchester & Market (Inglewood) .... 57 19 38Imperial & Figueroa, ................ 50 17 33Watls .......... ~ . . .. . .. .......... 24 14 10San Pedro ... , .... , ............... 67 43 24Long Beach ........................ 63 4·0 23Bell Aower ........ , .. , ............. 54 30 24Baldwin Park ,., .. , ............... 67 33 34Oneonta Junction ................... 33 15 18Pasadena ......................... 51 22 29Monrovia .. _ ........... r __ .. __ ...... _ .... 58 36 22Glendale .. - ........ _ .. - - - _ ... _ ..... _ ... 32 30 22 10Burbank ........................... 56 1).7 36 20

8

Here's what the System will Cost ...

Construction, other than track, including stations. .. 222,4.14,000

Track, roadway, and signals. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .. 27,892,000

Right.oI.way S 49,379,000

The following costs were determinedafter detailed study by lhe RTAG andits engineers. The cost breakdown isbased on right-of·way; constructionother than track, includin~ subwaysand stations; and track, roadway andsignals. It is difficult to allocate costsof any single part of the whole system,since each portion of the system de­pends on the other parts of the systemfor its efficiency and benent t~ the com­munity. These estimates are hased onpresent·day costs, with the usual al­lowance for engineering. Cost of 580two-car articulated units has not beenincluded, since the MetropolitanRapid Transit District need not financethis equipment, although the chargesfor financing the equipment are in·cluded on page 10-The Balance

Sheet. The number of cars was basedon a seat per passenger during thepeak hours of travel.

It will possibly be necessary to make

Capital adjustment

adjustments to eXlstmg operators tocover capital losses caused by installa·tion of rail rapid transit service. Thisadjustment is shown as a separateitem.

10,000,000

TOTAL $309,685,000

Patronage and Revenues ...

zone with free transfers, and with a10-cent additional {are for each addi·tional zone of ahout four miles.

The BSlimated patronage and revenuesfor each line are shown in the tablebelow. Lines with long portions ofidentical track are grouped.

Figures {or patronage are based onuhimate desirable population in themetropolitan area as shown by thelatest studies of the COUnl)' RegionalPlanning Commission. These studiesshowed, not only the amount of popu­lation, bUl its ultimate distribution.The estimated patronage was the basisfor the ultimate rail rapid transit sys·tern, as recommended.

Rail lines were laid out on a map inthe various fr~eways proposed to bebuilt in the area, and in private right­of·way. Agreement was reached as tothe amount of patronage each linewou [d serve. This agreement wasbased on experience, past trafficchecks and faster senrice on the basisof a seat per passenger. Final decisionas to the lines to be recommended wasbased on whether the patronage thus

determined would jmilify the installa·tion of rails.

It was determined that a fare equiva·lent to ahout 2Jf2 cents a mile was rea·sonable and would meet the financialrequirements of the system. This wasapplied as a 15·cent fare in the inner

Rou~ Annu~

Patronage

Hollywood-San Fernando Valley _.. 36,700,000Santa Monica 26,100,000Olympic 23,000,000Harbor·Inglewood 50,100,000Long Beach-San Pedro-Santa Ana. _ 25,800,000Ramona _. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 17,100,000Pasadena-Monrovia 23,800,000Glendale-Burbank . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 17,900,000

ANNUAL TOTALS 220,500,000

9

AnnualRevenue

$11,310,0007,200,0004,850,000

10,620,0008,380,0005,140,0007,400,0004,250,000

$59,150,000

The This is what comes in:

'Balance

Sheet

~~ Gross Passenger Revenue ..... $59,J 50.000

Less Revenue Collected for olheroperators supplyjng connect·IIlg service 7.700,000

$51,450,000

Track MainteJ13nCe $ 2,.1.59,000

Equipmenl Maintenance 2,766,000ra Pow". .. . . ... . . . .. . . ..... ] ,750,000

Traffic ..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191,000

The annual operating

statement at the right

shows that the rail rapid

transit system as planned,

and based on the ultimate

patronage, would be

economically feasible.

The annual revenues have

been broken down in the

This is what goes out:

~~

section PATRONAGE

AND REVENUES.Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . .. 8,4.30.000

Administmtion & Insurance. .. 5,2.32,000

5,650,000Tntercst .

a 1:1 D,I''''''''oo & Am""""" .. 11,092,000

~w.IU Taxes 12.180,000

~.~J Operating rents (nel) . . . . . . .. 2,000,000

TOTA L COSTS ,$51,450,000

10

The Financi11g ...Recommendations for financing a proposed rail rapid transit system were made by a finance

committee composed of City, County, and State representatives, private investment men,

and lawyers. These recommendations are the bases for the drafting of legislation.

THE MONEY

ORGANIZATION

POWERS

TAXES

INDEBTEDNESS

LEASES

Funds for a rail rapid transit line must come{rom some source other than highway·usertaxes, even thou gh the lines are placedwithin the roadways of a freeway. For aventure of this magnitude, bonds must be

The first step in organizing a district wouldbe a petition of a small number of signersor it could be initiated by the Board ofSupervisors. Notices should be posted andfull hearings given. Approval would be bya majority of the votes cast, plus a majority

The District woula-be empowered to acquireproperty by lease, purchase or condemna­tion; to construct improvements; and tolevy a limited tax for administrative ex·pense, the maximum not to exceed 5 cents

It is believed that the District should havethe power to recommend a tax levy onlyto pay any portion of principal or inlerestwhich is not paid from revenue. Taxes could,therefore, not he levied for the purpose ofmaking up any operating deficits of the

The district should have the power to issuebonds and incur indebtedness only upon

These should rim a sufficient time for theoperating company to amortize its rollingstock, but the term should he as short as isconsistent with that purpose.

The leases must contain provisions whichwould insure rapid transit. The board ofdirectors should have tlle power to approveoperating regulations or schedules and toapprove all equipment used hy the operat.

11

issued. The i>isuing authority should he aMelropolitan Rapid Transit District pat­terned somewhat after the MetropolitanWater District.

of the units in the proposed district, count­ing each city as a unil, and the unincorpo.rated territory as a unit. The District wouldbe administered by an appointed board ofdirectors.

on each $100.00 of assessed value. lL wouldhave the power to take over rights-of-waypurchased by the City, County or State andpay for such rights·of·way .

companies which would operate the lines.Taxes would be levied similar to a schooldistrict The budget WOli 1(1) be set by theBoard of Directors. The amount of any levywould be collected by the County authoritiesand deposited in the County treasury.

approval by a vote of the people.

ing company or companies in order to pre­vent the use of obsolete equipment or thepurchase of equipment of a type which willnot carry out actual, speedy and safe transit.

The leases sllould be drawn on such a basisthat the principal and intere~l of the bondsissued by the district will he paid fromrevenues.

This is Accomplished So Far. • •

NEED

SYSTEM

BENEFITS

COSTS

REVENUES

FINANCING

The need for rail rapid transit }las been clearlydemonstrated to the satisfaction of all who havestudied it tbroughout the years. The latest state·ment is Loat of the California State Puhlic Utili·ties Commission in a report dated June 16,1947.The report said, in part;

"The most important conclusion one can drawis tbat, unless pTOvision is made for rail rapidtransit lines ill these freeway!:>, where they aTeneeded today, Los Angeles will, in all prob­ability never have a rapid transit $Ystem."''It is estimated that rail rapid transit in a

A rail rapid transit system is recommended andagreed to by the Rapid Transit Action Group.This system includes rail lines in the SantaMonica, Olympic, Inglewood and Harbor anePomona Parkways, and the East By-Pass, al­though it wag agreed that future conditionswould determine whether the Olympic linewould be operated as a rail or bus rapid transitroule. It includes rail operation in portions ofthe Hollywood Parkway for an ideal roule toHollywood and the San Fernando Valley, Italso includes operation on existing privale right.of-way from Glendale, Burbank, Long Beach,Sail Pedro, Belillower, Baldwin Park, Pasadenaand Monrovia. All of these lines would lead into

The benefits to the people of the community willbe general-to those who will be ahle to walk tostations on the rail lines, to taose who wili rideto the rail lines by surface transit vehicle or byautomobile, to those who will continue to usesurface transportation. and to those who willcontinue to use their cars.

The investment cosl of the entire system is esti­mated at $310,000,000, This includes the costof additional right·of-way, additional construc­tion cost in freeways, improvements to private

The allnual operating revenues are based on anestimated fare of 2ly2 cents a mile, collected byzones. The boundaries of the wnes beyond the

A plan for necessary legislation has been pTO'posed. All the additional costs of providing railrapid transit in freeways would be borne byother than highway-u:>er taxes. A district, called

12

freeway can be provided at approximately15% to 20% additional to the cost of the free­way, alone, while separate rapid transit sys·Lem, whether on private righL.oC-way, elevatedstructure, or in a subway under city streets,would cosl several times this amount.

"In other words, Los Angeles can today obtaina rapid transit sysl'em for a fracLional part ofwhal One will cost in the fuLure. Any delay orprocrastination will be ja/.al and plans mustbe made now to build the rapid transit systemSImultaneously with the freeway system."

a downtown distribulion system.

It is recommended that financing be planned soas to provide sufficient capital for the conslruc·tion of the entire system.

This recommendation assumes the operation ofbus routes on radial and crosstown freewaysserving a reas between lhe rai I lines. It also as­sumes operation of buses connecting to the ler·minals of rail line~ on some freeways, the oper·ation of buses on the same freeways with railoperation, where desirable, and the developmentof surface feeder services to the rail tapid transitoperation.

Riding time will be materially cut. The cost willbe far less than the cost of dTiving alld parkinga car. Rail rapid transit is the one big improve·ment tha t can he made that wi11 attract thousandsof automobile riders to mass tnlllsportation, Thiswill reduce congestion and will enable thousandsto reach their destinations quickly, comfortablyand economically.

right·of-way, cost of subways, track and road·way, stations, and terminals and signal equip.ment. Annual cosl:8 will be about 851,450,000.

inner zone are about four miles apart. Thesefares wou 1(1 meet the estimated operatillg costs.

the Metropolitan Rapid Transit District, shouldbe Cormed to carry out the rapid transit needsof the community.

But This is Yet to be Done ...LEGISLATIVE ACTION

ADDITIONAL STUDIES

DISTRICT ORGANIZATION

SALE OF BONDS

Il i-~ imperative that legislation he pre­pared i:or and passed by the 1948 StateLegislature that will permit the for­maliO',1 ;a financing district for railrapid ii'a, sit service in the Los An­gele;; me, ;)politan area. This legisla­tion must"\~ passed this year to permitthe district to acquire right-of. waywithin the freeways where construe·tion is now imminent. This is particu­larly true of the Hollywood Parkway.

This agreement 011 routes, costs, reve­nues and financing by the RTAG is theresuh of many months' work and de·tailed study. It is, however, only thefirst l;tep in obtaining rail rapid tran-

As soon as the Legislature authorizesits or~anization, a Metropolitan RapidTraTLSit District should he formed.Further studies should be carried onat the negotiating stage to determineexactly how this additional right-of­WlIY and the distribution system hereproposed can be operated.

All of these negotiations and further

As soon as firm agreements arereached with operating companies,after routes, costs and revenues arefurther studied and affirmed, honds

Through the commendable coopera·ion of the State Division of Highways,the letting of certain key contracts hasbeen delayed to permit rapid transitinstallation. This delay cannot extendbeyond May, 194.9. This makes it im·perative that the District be formedand bonds sold prior to that time sothat funds can be available for thepurchase of the right-of·way and theadditional construction cost;;,

sit. This work should be checked byother competent engineering authori­ties before bonds are issued by a dis­trict.

work should be !.he respoTLSibility ofthe District. The people of the com·munity should demand that this Dis­trict be formed as soon as possible andshould agree to the adequate financingand the conferring of powers on theDistrict so that it can treat with oper·ating companies that could give anadequate rail rapid transit service tothe community.

could be issued. The District then cancommence the acquisition of right-of­way, and enter into the necessary con­tracts for the building of the system.

Tlte1l We Can Have Rail Rapid Transit NOW

13Angelus Press, Los Aogeles

The Work~ofThe!J3eMend

Was InvaluaL1e ...

F. W. Spencer, Pacific ElectricGeorge F. Squires, Pacinc ElectricW. B. Swan, General Electric

Fred 1. Mowder, L.A. Traffic Assn.Wrn. H. Neal, Deputy City Atty.Ed Rondot, City Planning Comm.Henry V. Wall, City Planning

Comm.

David Canning, L.A. Transit LinesJohn Commons, Regional Planning

Commission

Hugo Winter, City Engineer'sOffice

Harold W. Kennedy, CounlyCounsel

R. H. Moullon, R. H. Moulton Co.David Lamon, Blythe & CompanyA. Curtis Smith, Assistant County

Counsel

Finance Committee

Roger Arnebergh, Assl. City Atty.Ray Chesebro, City AttorneyHnrold B. Cutler, Security·First

Nalional BankJ. E. Fishburn, Bank of America

Construction Engineers

OSbOIll Carlson, Cit)' PlanningCommission

Specialists

Lewis H. Arnold, Deputy CityEngineer

Stuart M. Bate, L.A. Traffic Assn.W. J. Macfadyen, Chamber of

CommerceC. R. Montgomery, Dept. Pub. Wks.

Planners and Reseal'cherl';

Arthur F. Ager, Public UtilitiesCommission

1. H. Appel, Pacific Electric

Tran8portation Engineers

John Curlis, L.A. Transit LinesH. P. Byrne, WestinghouseRoberl Russell, Bd. of Pub. Ul.