L.A. Surprising History of Transit Innovation

Los Angeles is well known for its car culture and notorious traffic. "[I]n the midst of all this car craziness, Angelenos, their various government agencies, and several visionary designers have been proposing mass transit schemes for more than a century," says Lubell. "Some of them are incredibly innovative, some of them, well, just crazy. Now that we’re becoming more and more used to driving 0 miles per hour on the 405 freeway, and running into rush hour traffic on the 10 freeway at 2 p.m., we’re getting more and more willing to take a look at something—anything—other than the car."

Lubell examines six schemes, from a 1925 subway plan to maglev train proposals in recent decades, that he and co-curator Greg Goldin compiled as part of their upcoming exhibition, Never Built: Los Angeles, which opens at the A+D Architecture and Design Museum on July 27.