Transit in the News ~ Saturday, July 07, 2012

The LA times ran an interesting story about Los Angeles's emergence as preeminent transit city. See for example, the recent opening of the Expo Line (for an entertaining and historically aware writeup, I recommend the Militant Angeleno blog.



The Times itself has historically been slow to acknowledge or appreciate the city's transit-oriented transformation, but if they're coming around, good for them.

A side piece reminds readers of LA's original subway, and has some interesting pictures: like of an ancient PE horsecar in the subway on opening day:



The other big news in the CA transit scene right now is the state assembly and senate's approval to sell the bonds, approved by voters in 2008, to start building high speed rail. This is supposed to include electrification of CalTrain, my ride to work, by 2020.

Electrification of the peninsula commuter trains was first planned under E. H. Harriman's management of the SP, but indefinitely postponed after the 1906 earthquake and Harriman's death in 1909. It's exciting to see these plans come to fruition, a century later!

High speed rail will be a boon to commuters at both ends of the state, provide economic stimulus and environmentally-friendly transportation--and for juice fans, it's just awesome.