Quote:
Originally Posted by sopas ej
Boy hit, Crenshaw and Washington Boulevards, 1951
USC archive
Hollywood Blvd. and Vermont Ave., pedestrian safety zone for streetcar, 1937
USC archive |
Man, poor kid in that first pic! That's all he needs: Hit by a car, and then some busybody sticks a camera with a blinding flashbulb in his face.
That last shot illustrates an unfortunate reality: As big a fan of the old LA streetcar system as I am, I don't think it could work in today's world, even if all the tracks were still in place. The reason can be seen in the picture -- waiting or disembarking passengers had to gather in the middle of the street, with no separation from automobiles. I don't think that would fly today. Also, since urban streetcars ran in the left lane, people in cars would have to pass on the right, which is another no-no.
I often wonder how a comprehensive, citywide streetcar system would be implemented today, given all these limitations (I realize there's no danger of that actually happening, of course).