F (Los Angeles Railway)

F was a streetcar line in Los Angeles, California. It was operated by the Los Angeles Railway from 1911 to 1955.

F
Los Angeles and Redondo Railway freight train, 1884
Overview
OwnerLos Angeles Railway
LocaleLos Angeles
TerminiUnion Station
Vermont and Manchester Avenues
Stations28
Service
TypeStreetcar
SystemLos Angeles Railway
Daily ridership12,851 (1940)[1]
History
Opened1920
ClosedMay 22, 1955 (1955-05-22)
Technical
Track gauge3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)
Electrification600 V DC overhead line
Route map

1949–1955
Union Station
Macy and Alameda
Main and Macy
Main and Sunset
Main and Temple
Main and 1st
 P 
Main and 2nd
 8 
Main and 3rd
 9 
Main and 4th
Main and 5th
Main and 6th
Main and 7th
 J   R   S   7 
Main and 8th
Main and 9th
 7   8 
Broadway Place
 5 
Main and 11th
Main and 12th
Main and Pico
 9 
Main and Venice
Main and Washington
Main and 23rd
Main and Adams
Main and 30th
Main and Jefferson
Jefferson and Broadway
Jefferson and Hill
Jefferson and Grand
 9   J 
Grand and 37th
Grand and 39th
Santa Barbara and Figueroa
Santa Barbara and Hoover
Santa Barbara and Vermont
 5   V 
Vermont and 42nd
Vermont and Vernon
 V 
Vermont and 46th
Vermont and 48th
 9 
Vermont and 51st
Vermont and 54th
 8 
Vermont and 56th
Vermont and Slauson
Vermont and 59th
Vermont and Gage
Vermont and 68th
Vermont and Florence
Vermont and 74th
Vermont and 76th
Vermont and 79th
Vermont and 81st
Vermont and 83rd
Vermont and Manchester
Vermont and 88th
Vermont and 94th
Vermont and 98th
Vermont and Century
Vermont and 104th
Vermont and 108th
Delta

History

Fourth Street Line (1898–1911)

The Fourth Street Line was originally built by the Los Angeles Traction Company and opened in 1898. This route ran from a Downtown terminus at 3rd Street and Stephenson Avenue (present-day Traction Avenue) to 1st Street by way of Boyle Heights by way of Stephenson, Merrick Street, 4th Street, and Fresno Street.[2]

In 1910, the LAIU was taken over by the Pacific Electric Railway who ran it as a local line for one year, extending the route to 4th and Hill by way of 3rd and Hill Streets.[2]

Sunnyside Division (1888–1911)

The Sunnyside Division was the second division to be built by the Los Angeles and Redondo Railway, the world's first suburban railway. From the LA&R terminus at 2nd and Spring Streets, the Sunnyside Line ran to Redondo Beach by way of 2nd Street, Broadway, 7th Street, Grand Avenue, Santa Barbara Avenue, Sunnyside Avenue (present-day South Hoover), a private right of way between 69th Street and Florence Avenue, Vermont Avenue, 166th Street, Redondo Beach Boulevard, Ripley Avenue, and Anita Street.[2]

During the Great Merger of 1911 the southern portion of the LA&R was incorporated into the Pacific Electric Railway, while the northern portion became local routes of the Los Angeles Railway.[3] At this point, the Fourth Street and Sunnyside Lines were merged into a single route.[2]

F Line (1911–1956)

LARy streamlined the Fourth Street and Sunnyside Lines, avoiding Stephenson Avenue entirely and running the Downtown segment through Main Street. The new route followed Fresno Street, 4th Street, Main Street, Jefferson Boulevard, Grand Avenue, Hoover Avenue, a private right of way, and Vermont Avenue, terminating at Manchester Avenue, where a less frequent shuttle could be taken to the Pacific Electric's Delta Station.[2] In 1920, the shuttle was eliminated; the main line ran all the way to Delta and was renamed "F."[4]

Reroute to Union Station

The opening of Union Station in 1939 resulted in the creation of a loop segment on the building's north side, which served as the new northern terminus for the line. The 4th street track was eliminated, and the new loop connected to the remainder of the route by way of Macy Street and Main Street. The southern terminus was also cut back to the intersection of Vermont Avenue and Manchester Avenue. In 1950 the Hoover section was eliminated, and the F car ran straight from Santa Barbara to Vermont Avenues.[2]

Streetcar service was discontinued on May 22, 1955[5] and the line was converted to bus operations.

Partial restoration

Vermont Avenue continued its growth, seeded by the robust public transportation provided by the streetcar. By 2020, the bus lines operating on the street had grown to ridership of 45,000 weekday boardings, making it the second busiest corridor in the network.[6][7] As a result, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority intends to rehabilitate the road for to allow for rapid transit. The corridor extends further south than the old V streetcar and may initially operate as bus rapid transit with more limited service than its progenitor.

References

  1. Breivogel, Milton; Bate, Stuart (1942). Mass Transiit Facilities and Master Plan of Parkways (PDF) (Report). Los Angeles City Planning Commission. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  2. "'F'". Electric Rail Heritage Association. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  3. Veysey, Laurence R. (June 1958). A History Of The Rail Passenger Service Operated By The Pacific Electric Railway Company Since 1911 And By Its Successors Since 1953 (PDF). LACMTA (Report). Interurbans. p. 56, 73. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  4. H.P. Noordwal (1938). "Route Map Los Angeles Railway Electric Car and Bus Routes" (Map). Barry Lawrence Ruderman Antique Maps Inc. Los Angeles Railway. "Alternate link" (Map). via Google.
  5. "May 22: This Date in Los Angeles Transportation History". Metro Primary Resources. Dorothy Peyton Gray Transportation Museum and Archive. Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  6. Tinoco, Matt (7 May 2018). "A subway on Vermont? Metro is considering it". Curbed LA. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
  7. Next stop: a new kind of bus ride on Vermont (PDF). Amazon Naws (Report). Metro. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
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