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Part III of a series on a new Downtown Los Angeles streetcar system

My Unscientific Proposal

In trying to dream up the best route for a Downtown LA trolley system, I tried to take into consideration the entirety of Downtown. I can’t possibly present to you that I know everything about Downtown neighborhoods or what will happen in those neighborhoods in the future. Even though I went to school Downtown for four years (not USC), I’ve only lived here since March (lifelong Angeleno, though).

That being said, I did try my best using the knowledge I have of what types of projects have been completed or are under construction, and what will be happening in the near future.

For this concept, an initial starting point of the Little Tokyo Gold Line station at First and Alameda would head west through Little Tokyo, passing the Geffen Contemporary, new mid-rise residences, and also would help to continue the revival of the First Street corridor in Little Tokyo. This section of the route would prove to be popular with residents frequenting the restaurants on First Street, and tourists visiting Little Tokyo.

Heading west through the Civic Center and connecting to the Red Line’s Civic Center station — thus tying in the Red and Gold lines without the need for a transfer at Union Station — would bring more commuters into the system. Even though it’s only a short walk from the Civic Center station, Little Tokyo just feels far away and disconnected from the rest of Downtown.

As the line continues west to First and Grand and then south on Upper Grand, the office and cultural corridor becomes important for Angelenos, tourists, and commuters alike. Disney Hall, the Grand Avenue Project, the Cathedral, the Water Court, MoCA, and many thousands of jobs are located on this corridor. This section of the streetcar line will most likely be the most heavily used, and it helps to reinforce the job of Angels Flight. The slope of the hill on Grand near Fifth may prove to be a little problematic logistically, but it can be done.

Bunker Hills fades into the Financial District as the line continues south. The number of jobs in this area goes without saying.

Then comes South Park, with its new residential high-rises, FIDM, and the new Ralphs. Ralphs wouldn’t be served directly in this scenario; however, it would be a short walk away from 9th and Grand.

At 11th Street, the line heads west once again. This is the most optimal street to head west because it serves LA Live and the Convention Center/Staples — without having to cross the Blue Line tracks. On the left and right of the line would be new projects such as LA Central, Elleven, Luma, Evo, and the Met Lofts.

Once the line reaches LA Live at Figueroa Street, it heads north past the Hanover and the Concerto, to Seventh Street/Metro Center. The Blue Line and Red Line converge here, providing a built-in transfer opportunity. The line heads east on a revitalized Seventh Street, which will help spur the city’s imagined Restaurant Row there, historic buildings being converted to residential uses with multiple restaurant options on the ground floors. Post-game dining in Downtown — a great option for a night on the town.

The last leg of the line was the most difficult to choose: Should the line head up Broadway, Spring, Main, or Los Angeles streets?

Broadway has the obvious appeal of historic theaters that need a little “push” to be converted to their former use, but Broadway is also served by numerous bus lines and is a short block away from Pershing Square station.

Spring Street is experiencing a huge residential boom, but there isn’t too much going on north of Fourth Street. Also, the one-way street as it is now could possibly pose a safety issue.

Los Angeles Street has the Fashion District on its southern end, but there isn’t too much going on in terms of new residential or retail north of that.

I think Main Street would be the best choice for this line as it is east enough to serve a different market than the subway, and there are enough residential and retail projects coming into completion that it wouldn’t seem like a “no-man’s land” to potential riders. The northern portion of the Fashion District would be served by a Main Street turn, as would the Old Bank District, the Medallion project, and Vibiana Place.

The line then runs east on First Street to its terminus at Alameda, the Little Tokyo Gold Line station.

I don’t know if this proposal will accomplish much, but hopefully it will keep the momentum going and start some conversation.

So tell me in the comments what you think of this one.

-Part I (Background and Need for a Downtown Los Angeles Streetcar)
-Part II (The Plans)