we’ve got a ticket to ride: angels flight makes it to the hill
Big news this weekend came via Angels Flight. The “world’s shortest railway,” shuttered in 2001 after a fatal accident killed one and injured several others, is back on track now with this weekend’s installation of the twin cars Sinai and Olivet.
Opening in 1901, Angels Flight had been a vital transportation link between mansions in the once-glamorous Bunker Hill neighborhood and the Spring Street financial district.
Though redevelopment in the 1950s and ’60s leveled the fabled Victorian homes and saw Angels Flight placed into storage, commercial towers began sprouting up, forming LA’s largest financial center. The increased business activity on Bunker Hill meant Downtown was ready for the tiny rail line to reopen.
After the 2001 accident, however, slow progress toward resurrecting the funicular and a lack of openness from the railway foundation angered many in the community.
In response to the growing criticism, Councilwoman Jan Perry went on record in support of a Metro-backed takeover of Angels Flight via eminent domain.
While eminent domain proceedings never occurred, John Welborne, president of the Angels Flight Railway Foundation, was adamant that the project remain in private hands. Incremental progress, including a volunteer-led painting project and lighting improvements, have been made since then. Most recently, the rail cars have been stored in Metro’s Arts District railyard.
Welborne tells Curbed that opening will most likely be in late 2008 or early 2009. Opening depends on approvals by the California Public Utilities Commission, which regulates rail-based transit in the state.
Once the rail line reopens, a one-seat ride will cost 25 cents. Ready to ride? Let us know!
Angels Flight Location
Hill Street Station between 3rd and 4th streets
Bunker Hill Station at the Water Court at Cal Plaza
More photos via flickr. Also covered at blogdowntown, Curbed, Downtown News and the Times. Historic photographs available at the Times‘ photo archive.
15 comments
Glad to see them back.
Finally! Downtown is shifting into high gear.
LA Live opening up, now this. Great news.
I’ve been a supporter and fan of Angel’s Flight since I first learned of it’s placement in storage in the 1960s. I was thrilled to see the cranes lifting the cars onto the tracks on Saturday as I was walking by. High time! Very exciting!
Finally… Next will be Broadway project.
(I’ve been ready to ride for 8 years, but I don’t think Olivet or Sinai have been ready!)
LA WHO?
I dont get the whole concept. Seems like a total waste of funds — public or private.
Ndevelopment:
When Angels Flight is back up and running, hop aboard and look around you. Tourists, brown baggers from Bunker Hill, shoppers, kids, railfans…then you’ll get the concept.
Hooray!
I was so amazed and delighted to see the cars on the tracks when I came into work this morning. The sun broke through the clouds, a flock of green parrots (!) was swarming all over the olive trees on Angel’s Knoll, and – there were the cars! I wondered for a moment if I’d time-traveled back to 2001, but no – happily, it’s November 4, 2008 and ANGEL’S FLIGHT IS BACK YAY!!! (well, almost!)
(P.S. – I still have the very last ticket in the 5-tickets-for-a-dollar booklet I bought for the week of Feb. 25, 2001 – do you think they’ll accept it when they finally reopen?
)
In belated response to ndevelopment, Angels Flight fulfills an important little niche in the transit mix. As Bruce pointed out, tourists, brown baggers from Bunker Hill, shoppers, kids, railfans all make use of the funicular. I used to live above the market and would often sit on the patio on the Hill Street side. You’d see these people spill out of Angels Flight and wander into the market. I’m sure a vendor selling tourist trinkets could make a living.
Moreover, with Angel’s Flight down, Bunker Hill is effectively severed from the Grand Central market and the historic core. A friend of mine had a business in the market. She told me her business dropped significantly after the accident and never recovered. Those well-heeled workers on Bunker Hill could no longer easily visit the market. My friend no longer has her business in the market. And I think it is fair to say, on the whole Grand Central is not faring too well. (Although, I don’t think Angels Flight is the sole reason. That’s another conversation.)
Also, when I lived above the market, Angel’s Flight made it easy to get up to Bunker Hill and Grand Avenue. Your options right now are the escalators on Fifth and hikes up various inclines. Of course, driving is another option. With Angels Flight down, the historic core and Bunker Hill are effectively severed to pedestrian traffic. That’s not a good thing. It has been most regretably the authorities never made the restoration of service a priority and left it to the bungling of the non-profit which runs the funicilar. The fabric of the area has suffered for this neglect and incompetence.
No matter. Happy days are almost here again.
Oh yeah, Rich, is the title of this post a reference to the popular railroad themed boardgame “Ticket to Ride”?
David: Actually, the title is in reference to the song by the Beatles.
although whenever i hear the song/title, i think of the carpenters’ version of “ticket to ride”