Transportation Topics and Tales -
Milestones in Transportation History in Southern California
by John E. Fisher, P.E. PTOE

Introduction

• Transportation Topics & Tales

Rail Transit

• The Beginning of Motorized Transportation in Southern California
• Los Angeles and the Transcontinental Railroads
• Early Transit Systems in Los Angeles
• The Yellow Cars and Red Cars
• The Evolution of Public Transit in Los Angeles
• The Angels Flight Story
• The Funicular Transit Systems
• The Creation of Commuter Rail in Southern California
• Standard Railroad Gauge
• Jitneys - A Recurring Idea

Roadways

• The City's First Road
• The El Camino Real Bells
• The Roots of Our Routes
• The Main Street of America
• Figueroa Street - A Preview of the Future
• 7th Street and Broadway
• The 5th Avenue of the West
• The Street That's a "10"

Bridges & Tunnels

• The City's River Bridges
• Pedestrian Tunnels

Street Lighting

• Enlightened Street Lighting

Freeways

• Ramona Boulevard - The Airline Route
• The Freeways Built By the City
• Arroyo Seco Parkway - The First Freeway in the West
• Cahuenga Parkway

Transportation Planning

• The City's First Transportation Plan
• The Origin of the County Street System
• Land Use Zoning and Decentralization
• Regional Transportation Planning

Traffic Regulations

• The First Simplified Traffic Code
• The Birth of Pedestrian Regulation

Traffic Control Signs

• The Origin of Traffic Control Signs
• The California Stop Sign
• Freeway Guide Signing
• Safety Slogan Signs
• Street Name Signs

Parking Meters

• The First Parking Meters

Pavement Markings

• Mushrooms, Dots, Gaps and Tracks
• Left Turn Pockets
• The Development of the Two-Way Left Turn Lane
• Reversible Lanes

Traffic Signal Control

• The Acme and Other Vintage Traffic Signals
• Pedestrian Push Buttons
• Mid-Block Pedestrian Traffic Signals
• Mastarm Signals
• Uniquely Signalized Driveways
• The Smart Pedestrian Warning Device

Traffic Signal Timing

• The Evolution of Left-Turn Phasing in the Los Angeles Area - Part 1
• The Evolution of Left-Turn Phasing in the Los Angeles Area - Part 2
• The Evolution of Left-Turn Phasing in the Los Angeles Area - Part 3
• The Evolution of Left-Turn Phasing in the Los Angeles Area - Part 4
• Sabbath Signal Timing
• Early Methods for Traffic Signal Network Timing
• Computer Signal System Control in Southern California
• Traffic Signal Control Centers

Traffic Management Organization in the City of Los Angeles

• Los Angeles' First Traffic Engineer
• The Evolution of Traffic Management in the City
• The Origin and Evolution of the Department of Transportation
• The Evolution of LADOT
• The Headquarter Sites of LADOT
• The Origin and Evolution of Traffic Officers