Sometimes predictions for the future are simply painful to read. The
people living in 1957 were prolific in sketching out hopeful plans. Some of them
were foolish (I think we can safely eliminate the atomic-powered
monorails) but others sound terribly familiar: Like one-way streets and
restricted bus lanes on the freeways.
All I can say is this: We have been ignoring our transportation problems for a century. (Above, a downtown traffic jam in 1907).
Proposals from 1957:
- Make Figueroa and Flower one-way streets from downtown to the Coliseum.
- Make Olive and Hill one-way streets between 1st Street and 23rd Street.
- 200-mph monorails that run from the San Fernando Valley to Long Beach.
- Light-rail routes from San Bernardino and Santa Ana to downtown.
- An elevated train in downtown Los Angeles.
- Subways.
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