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History of Transportation
Automobile
Petersen Automotive Museum
This museum is dedicated to the exploration and presentation of the automobile and its impact on American life and culture using Los Angeles as the prime example. Encompassing more than 300,000 square feet, its exhibits and lifelike dioramas feature more than 150 rare and classic cars, trucks and motorcycles. Located at 6060 Wilshire Blvd (at Fairfax), Los Angeles CA 90036.
Aviation
The Start of the Aerospace Industry
It all started with an Air Meet at Dominguez Hills. The event was promoted by Henry Huntington. The fliers who liked it here stayed. Those promoting business in Los Angeles saw the public interest in aviation and made it happen. They leveraged universities like Caltech which spun off Jet Propulsion Laboratory and provided important aeronautical research facilities including wind tunnels, and along with USC and UCLA it was a constant source of high-quality technical labor.
California Science Center
Since before the dawn of history, the possibilities of flying and exploring the stars have excited our minds to great feats of imagination and ingenuity. Explore our unique collection of artifacts and hands-on activities to discover how humans design aircraft and space probes for specific tasks by using our knowledge of the principles of air, space and flight.
Space Shuttle Endeavour
NASA Administrator General Charles Bolden announced, April 12, 2011 that the California Science Center is one of four institutions chosen to receive a Space Shuttle Orbiter for permanent display.
Bridges
Colorado Street Bridge (Arroyo Seco Bridge)
The beautiful concrete bridge spans 1,467 feet across the Arroyo Seco, a deeply cut canyon linking the San Gabriel Mountains to the Los Angeles River, and containing the intermittent Arroyo Seco Stream for which it is named. The bridge is often incorrectly referred to as the "Arroyo Seco Bridge" or "Suicide Bridge."
I-210 Metro Gold Line Bridge
The I-210 Bridge is a dual track light rail bridge that will span 584 feet across the eastbound lanes of the I-210 Freeway.
Gold Line 210 Freeway bridge nearing completion
Work on the $18.6 million, 584-foot-long Gold Line bridge above the 210 Freeway is weeks from being finished. (9/16/2012). Courtesy of the Pasadena Star News.
Gold Line bridge's baskets woven piece by piece at Gardena plant
The Gold Line bridge's two vertical columns will be transformed into woven cement baskets to represent and celebrate the early cultures of the San Gabriel Valley, mainly the Gabrielino and Tongva Indians who designed elaborate woven and coiled baskets. The two massive decorative baskets, which are each made of 60 different cast segments that weigh 800 pounds each, are manufactured in several, careful steps to create these public art forms, said Jeffrey Keenan, president of Moonlight Molds Inc. They will require specialized assembly to ensure the artistic design elements envisioned by artist Andrew Leicester. Seeing both 25-foot Native American-inspired concrete baskets without scaffolding for the first time, artist Andrew Leicester said they look just as he'd hoped. (9/25/2012). Courtesy of the Pasadena Star News.
Gold Line bridge's Nears Completion
With the last wooden support platform gone and next month's installation of concrete "reeds" rising from the giant concrete baskets, construction will end on the most visible part of the 11.5-mile light rail extension project. (11/13/2012). Courtesy of the Pasadena Star News.
Last touches on year-long Gold Line bridge project
The on budget, on schedule $18.6 million Gold Line Bridge is the first element of the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension light rail project from Pasadena to Azusa to be completed. It is California's first artist-designed transit bridge and the largest, single art/transit infrastructure project in the state. The bridge will be officially completed on Saturday, December 15, 2012. (12/12/2012). Courtesy of the Pasadena Star News.
Gold Line Bridge Wins Five Industry Awards in 2013
• Best Project in Southern California, Highways/Bridges – Engineering News-Record (ENR)
• 2013 Engineering Achievement Award – American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC)
• 2013 Project Achievement Award – Construction Management Association of America (CMAA)
• Distinguished Project Award – Western Council of Construction Consumers (WCCC)
• Outstanding Public Civil Engineering Project, Transportation Over $10 Million – American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). (12/10/2013). Courtesy of Pasadena Now.
Roads
Route 66 Association
A non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation, promotion and enjoyment of Historic Route 66 in California. There is such an organization in each of the eight Route 66 states: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. We are independent of one another and ours is the youngest. Our history coincides with December 1990 legislation designating Route 66 as "State Historic Highway Route 66". This legislation made signage permissible for the previously decommissioned federal highway.
Route 66
The 2,448-mile Mother Road stretching from Chicago to Santa Monica is really about the people along the way. Since the 1930s, the fabled highway has cut across eight states, from Chicago to Santa Monica. About 315 miles of Route 66 pass through California's deserts, mountains, metropolitan areas and beach communities. America's Main Street - built as a road for migrants to seek a new future, and which evolved into an eclectic mix that included landmarks like the Wigwam Motel in San Bernardino and the Fair Oaks Pharmacy and Soda Fountain, in South Pasadena.
Route 66: Saga Motor Hotel in Pasadena
The motel is located on Route 66′s 1633 E. Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena.
First Freeway in the US - Pasadena Freeway - Highway 110
The first freeway in the United States connected downtown Los Angeles with Pasadena. The limited access and toll-free highway called the Arroyo Seco Parkway or Pasadena Freeway was built in 1940 and is now known as Highway 110. This video shows how the Arroyo Seco Parkway has changed. This video shows more footage of the parkway.
Caltrans wants to change speed limit on Pasadena Freeway to 45mph
Highway 110 or Pasadena Freeway has had another name change to the Arroyo Seco Parkway in 2011. They are now considering changing the speed limit from 55 to 45 MPH.
10 and 110 Freeway Pay Lanes
Since Nov. 10, 2012 on the 110 Freeway and Feb. 23,2013 on the 10 Freeway, motorists can sign up to ride the car-pool-turned-express lanes by going to metro.net and opening a $40 account for pay lane rides and a transponder. Once attached to the car, drivers can switch it from 1, 2, or 3 to indicate a car-pool or a solo driver. Car-pools of two are free all the time on the 110 but must pay during peak hours on the 10 Freeway, where a free ride requires three persons. Two-person car-pools ride free on the 10 during off-peak weekday hours and weekends. All motorists must buy a Metro transponder in order to ride the Express Lanes. (7/26/13) Courtesy of the Pasadena Star News.
Foothill Freeway - Interstate 210
The main freeway through Pasadena is I-210. Known as the Foothill Freeway, Interstate 210 and State Route 210 the freeway connects Los Angeles with its northern suburbs following the foothills of these mountains.
Ventura Freeway - State Route 134
The freeway on the west side of Pasadena is SR-134. Known as the Ventura Freeway, State Route 134 connects Pasadena's Arroyo Seco with its western suburbs following the foothills of the Verdugo mountains.
CA Department of Motor Vehicles History of CA DMV
Essentially, Californians were anxious to police motorists and protect themselves with a formidable barrier of "rules of the road." The secretary of state was empowered in 1905 to register and license motor vehicles.
California Traffic Signs
Brian Smith's historic California porcelain enamel traffic signs from 1920-1960.
Why are stoplights Red, Yellow and Green?
Stoplights are red, yellow, and green, because traffic officials, early on copied the code system railroad engineers devised for track systems controlling the trains.
See also:
Intercity Trains
Kiddie Train Rides
Railroad History
Roller Coasters
Train Rides