These powerful forces had no incentive to maintain or improve the old electric streetcar system. National City tore up the tracks and replaced the streetcars with General Motors-built buses that used Firestone tires and ran on gasoline.
There has been a long-standing academic debate over whether selfish corporate interests deliberately killed the Los Angeles streetcar system. Some researchers argue that the system would die on its own, like many other tram networks around the world.
The controversy even spilled over into pop culture in the 1988 film Who Arranged Roger Rabbitwho came down firmly on the side of the conspiracy.
It is undeniable that since the mid-1940s, powerful social forces have transformed Los Angeles so that commuters have only two choices: drive or take public bus. As a result, LA was so congested with traffic that it often took hours to cross the city.
In 1990 The Los Angeles Times reported that people are putting refrigerators, desks and televisions in their cars to cope with being stuck in horrendous traffic. A series of films, from Falling Down to Clueless to La La Landhave introduced the next level driving challenge in LA.
Traffic was also a problem when Los Angeles hosted the 1984 summer games, but the games went off smoothly. Organizers convinced over 1 million people to ride buses and got many trucks to drive during off-peak hours. The 2028 Games however, they will have about 50 percent more athletes competing, which means thousands more coaches, families, friends and spectators. So simply dusting off plans from 40 years ago won’t work.
Olympic transport plans
Today, Los Angeles is slowly rebuilding a more robust public transportation system. In addition to buses, there are now four rail lines – the new name for electric trams – and two subways. Many follow the same routes that electric trolleys once traveled. Rebuilding this network is costing the public billions because the old system was completely dismantled.
Three key improvements are planned for the Olympics. First, Los Angeles airport terminals will be connected to the rail system. Second, the Los Angeles organizing committee plans to use buses to move people around. It will do this by rerouting some lanes away from cars and making them available for a further 3,000 buses to be taken from elsewhere.
