Public Transportation
I have been using public transportation for almost 14 years. Since I began to attend UCLA I have used public transportation to get to there, because I chose not to live on campus. The one way, two and a half sometimes three hour commute to UCLA from the East Side takes me directly through Koreatown. During my commute to UCLA I have passed through Koreatown on the 720 Metro Rapid. However, I had never actually explored Koreatown aside from the Metro station on Wilshire & Western.
Public Transportation Use Before Korean Wave:
Public transportation has existed in Los Angeles since 1873. At least 220 private and public companies have operated transit systems in Los Angeles. Transit operating systems have included horse cars, cable cars, incline railways, steam trains, electric streetcars, interurban cars, trolley buses, and gas or diesel powered buses.
On July 3, 1873 LA City Council authorized David b. Waldron to lay down iron railroad tracks, propelled by horse to transport passengers. However, this project was not developed.
Public transportation in LA formally began in 1874 by Judge Robert M. Widney. A single track horse car operated between Main Street, Spring Street, First Street, Broadway, Fourth Streer, Hill Street, and Figueroa Street. City Railroad Company in 1883 became the ""first line dedicated "exclusively to public transit." The main purpose of this line was to promote real state. The Los Angeles Cable Railway was incorporated in 1887 and "was the largest transit venture in the city." The line operated between Boyle Heights and East LA, and Westlake Park and Grand Avenue.
Los Angeles Railway was the first local streetcar transit system. It operated between 1895-1945. This system slowly morphed into a bus system. Pacific Electric Subway opened on November 30, 1925. The subway ran under Fourth and Hill Street to Beverly and Glendale Boulevards. However, usage of the subway decreased in 1993 due to the automobile industry.
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority (LAMTA) was formed by the transit planning agency of California in 1951. The goal was to provide mass rapid transit through the state. By March of 1963 the LAMTA had discontinued all public transportation services in Los Angeles, because they could not meet the demand for mass rapid transit.
Public Transportation Use After Korean Wave:
Southern California Rapid Transit District was formed in 1964 and operated until 1993. This agency was created to improve, design, and build transit in Los Angeles. This agency was to serve Southern California, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties.
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Agency "Metro" or "MTA" was formed in 1993 by the California State Legislature. This agency was responsible for operating the clean air CNG-powered Metro bus fleet, Rapid bus lines, and trains. Metro has been responsible for the growth of public transportation in LA, and continues to expand with projects that include the extension of subway Purple Line and Gold Line.
Public transportation is important because it is the only mode of transportation for many people who reside in Los Angeles. Some people are unable to afford a car, while others cannot obtain a drivers license due to their immigration status (although starting in 2015 undocumented people in California can obtain a drivers license). The allocation of resources is also plays a role in the importance of public transportation. People that live in places in Los Angeles where there is lack of supermarkets, schools, and stores utilize public transportation to be able to have access to such resources.
By: Thania Lucero
1. Pulido, Laura, Laura R. Barraclough, and Wendy Cheng. A People's Guide to Los Angeles. Berkeley: U of California, 2012. Print.
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