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ChineseA Long Beach Fantasia
In the current issue of The District Weekly (Long Beach’s alternative independent weekly) has a cover story about its future vision for Long Beach. Perhaps as a response to the City’s own visioning plan for the year 2030.
Among its descriptions of a vibrant theater district, a family-friendly amusement center, and a gloriously restored waterfront is the “Blump” or the “Blue Whale Trolley,” which connects downtown Long Beach to Los Angeles and Orange County.
Of course, the article is meant as satire, or as a statement that for its future, Long Beach should look to its past. The last page of the issue shows historical photos of Long Beach’s past, such as its theater district, the Pike amusement center, the Rainbow Pier, and (of course!) the Red Cars, or “Blimps.”
So what’s the take-home message of this article?
-Public transit was part of what made Long Beach a great city. Destroying it in the 1960s has seriously damaged Long Beach’s heritage and identiy.
-Public transit must be part of Long Beach’s future. It’s the glue that holds together the City’s efforts at rejuvenation and integrates it with its northern and eastern neighbors.
The article is not yet online–it usually gets posted a few days after the paper hits the streets. Check it out, at least for the pretty pictures.
Discussion
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Please keep discussions civil: exercise Troll Controll.
Hmm…doesn’t the Blue Line already connect Long Beach with Los Angeles? Why would we need a bus that parellels the same journey? I can’t think of another route between LB & LA other than what the Blue Line travels.
I don’t know the old route of the Red Car, but it wasn’t the same as the current day Blue Line. The Blue Line stops in downtown Long Beach, but the Red Car used to go to the eastern parts of the City and on to Huntington Beach.
Right now, there are very few lines that cross the county line….
Here’s a pic from USC.
Yes, today’s Blue Line closely follows one of the old Red Car lines. But as you can see, there was an additional North/South along what I assume is now Redondo. The main line continued on to Newport Beach, and there was a coastal route all through Long Beach proper. A third north-south spur served San Pedro.
The Red Car was a very elaborate system, and the curent Metro lines do not come close to approximating it.
The north-south “trunk” line of the Blue Line is the exact same route as the Red Car line (reviving an old right-of-way was the key to its feasibility), but instead of heading due west on Washington, the line continued north, then jogged west via an elevated viaduct that paralleled 6th st, before ending at the Pacific Electric terminal at 6th and Main (now a loft).
And in Long Beach, most of those old rights of way are now parks, storage facilities, and other non-transit related uses.
Two crucial thins the PE had that the Blue Line doesn’t are:
- E/W lines through Long Beach, not just a way to get to/from it.
- Express trains that skipped stops on the way to downtown LA (hence the need for four (!) parallel tracks between LA and Watts).
Both of these merit rebuilding!
I’d add to Nick’s list:
-Good connections between LA, Long Beach, and Orange County.
Of those three things, though, I think the express trains would be the most helpful, and the easiest to restore.
Update:
The District Weekly’s article on Long Beach’s future:
http://thedistrictweekly.com/dwweb/?p=526
On Long Beach’s past:
http://thedistrictweekly.com/dwweb/?p=527