Could DTLA use an "L Train"?

[nickdahammer]

This was proposed back in the 1920s, then got de-railed by the Chandlers and company.

This from http://www.erha.org/seveneras.htm:

In 1926, a political battle flared up over the location of a union passenger terminal. The Southern Pacific Railroad, the Pacific Electric, and most newspapers favored a site around Fifth street and Central avenue. Included in the Terminal layout was a sort of "initial increment" of elevated access trackage from the Los Angeles river to the Pacific Electric's 6th & Main street station to take interurban trains off the streets and out of traffic. The Los Angeles Times favored the plaza site for the union station, and was dead set against elevated railways. The paper editorialized that the elevated access was but a foretaste of horrible things to come — a network of noisy, ugly "Els" all over town! When the union station issue and the elevated to Main street station were put to an advisory referendum, the people sided with the times position, and by implication, against any rapid transit system which included elevated railways.

[DistrictDirt]

Downtown is getting a new streetcar line down Broadway, and a new subway line (the Regional Connector). What do we need an El for?

[HarryKerry]

More recently, back in the late 1970's when Tom Bradley was Mayor, he proposed a downtown People Mover system to accommodate then present and future development in DTLA. It was to be an "El" much like the ride at Disneyland. There was some criticism at the time that LA needed a regional transit solution, not just one for DTLA. The concept, with a model, no less, died pretty soon after the proposal.

Do ye remember the proposal for the huge monument to the immigrants that was to be conetructed over the 101 from Union Station west to about the 10?

While I like the idea of some sort of grade separated "people mover" type system to connect LA Live, 7th Metro Center, Crown Hill, Bunker Hill, Civic Center, I think what we really need are mover systems between Union Station and Dodger Stadium, and another for Hollywood Highland to the Hollywood Bowl, and another from Metro Sunset/Vermont to Griffith Park serving the Greek Theater/Golf course and the Observatory.

Union Station to Dodger Stadium bus shuttles are a success, but are still caught in the same traffic at the end of games, I've been told.