In the mid-20th century, Los Angeles came surprisingly close to building a sprawling monorail transit system. This documentary provides an in-depth study of how the idea developed, the problems it promised to solve, and the reasons it was ultimately never built.
Chapters:
0:00 – Intro
1:47 – Chapter I: Half-Baked, Hair-Brained Schemes
5:52 – Chapter II: Red-Taped Inertia
11:27 – Chapter III: A Deadly Competitor
18:38 – Chapter IV: Highways in the Sky
24:44 – Chapter V: Giving Audiences to Everything
29:32 – Chapter VI: A Dark-Ages Monstrosity
34:32 – Chapter VII: An Elevated Nightmare
41:16 – Chapter VIII: So Much Irresponsible Hogwash
47:24 – Epilogue & Credits
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Music:
“Bachelor on the Move” by Ritchie Everett
https://open.spotify.com/track/6hLUV0MU9DKZJTbdDuaJCL?si=aadca3c4e53e4489
“Small Talk and Lemonade” by The Fly Guy Five
https://open.spotify.com/track/4IgVJe6L9Syr11LTdPHJ5g?si=0b74266197794fce
“Blue Zones” by The Fly Guy Five
https://open.spotify.com/track/2zYSjt4p6U2WyGoy3oI8za?si=1dd00f935f514c41
“Stepping On It” by The Fly Guy Five
https://open.spotify.com/track/4A34qPcYKHMDpbgvqcy7XX?si=877e8bd356434d3c
“Nation on Wheels” / “The Monorail Song” (Tomorrowland 2055 Version)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIOocUG16dk
“Vintage Dream” by Mathilda June
https://open.spotify.com/track/5B06PwX8d6drWdzDzDTlEu?si=493ffb4e00a9444c
“We Were Like That” by Franz Gordon
https://open.spotify.com/track/3WmWFMQRa6YuowPQ0bHklD?si=f3e5f85e8d214e5c
“Leaving Clues” by Ritchie Everett
https://open.spotify.com/track/5fs7pOx7EqtssCqW4cRcQe?si=1332c56df61f4738
“Tomorrow I’ll Be Gone” by Franz Gordon
https://open.spotify.com/track/3ocKf3gVD0lRQb94IQei05?si=d9707f258e5b4657
“A Time to Remember” by Ritchie Everett
https://open.spotify.com/track/2n8XFH2ZL0h0gHUaBIgMCz?si=cf1c0032ca3d4455
“There’s A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” performed by Rex Allen
https://open.spotify.com/track/1LFX9caGBvgcOh7mlhAbdh?si=afbddf4d85754880
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Engineering Reports & Proposals:
Monorail Feasibility Study (1954)
Explored whether monorail was economically feasible as a transit system for LA.
http://libraryarchives.metro.net/DPGTL/lamta/1958_lamta_monorail%20proposal.pdf
Transit Corridor Study (1959)
Analyzed commuter traffic patterns along 12 potential transit corridors, recommending four of these for further study (Covina, Long Beach, Santa Monica and Reseda).
http://libraryarchives.metro.net/DPGTL/lamta/1959-05-09-coverdale-colpitts-study.-public-transportation-needs%20area-served-lamta-determination-routes.pdf
Transit System Study (1960)
Analyzed numerous types of transit systems, recommending three for future study (conventional rail, suspended monorail and saddlebag monorail).
http://libraryarchives.metro.net/DPGTL/lamta/1960_jun2_progress_report_initial_consideration_systems_routings_mass_rapid_transit_program.pdf
Transit System Recommendation & Detailed Route Study (1960)
Presented the recommendation for a rubber-tired metro rail system, and detailed the placement and design of the transit routes & stations.
http://libraryarchives.metro.net/DPGTL/lamta/1960_aug26_comparative_analysis_rapid_transit_system.pdf
Backbone Route Study (1961)
Presented the recommendation for a steel-wheeled metro rail system as well as the shorter Backbone Route.
http://libraryarchives.metro.net/DPGTL/lamta/1961_kaiser_general_description_rapid_transit_system_backbone_route.pdf
Goodell Airport Line Proposal (1962)
Presented the plans to build a monorail line between downtown and LAX.
http://libraryarchives.metro.net/DPGTL/monorail/1962_goodell_monorail_proposal.pdf
Alweg Monorail Proposal (1963)
Presented the plans to build a transit network of three monorail lines.
http://libraryarchives.metro.net/DPGTL/monorail/1963_alweg_monorail_presentation.pdf
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