Submitted by Julian, who says:

In the post-interurban era of Los Angeles, various proposals for a reinstatement of rail service surfaced from time to time in the political discourse. Starting in the early 60s, the plans often sought to replicate the model of the Bay Area Rapid Transit or Atlanta’s MARTA heavy rail systems. By the late 70s, the foremost proponents and planners of such a system were the then-dominant Southern California Rapid Transit District and LA mayor Tom Bradley. However a competing movement emerged that sought to more closely and cheaply reinstitute the Pacific Electric interurban system- the “new red cars”- through San Diego-style light rail technology. The Los Angeles County Transportation Commission, a parallel transit planning agency convened in 1977, championed this alternative. Each agency researched and planned their own respective “starter lines”- SCRTD a route from Downtown LA to North Hollywood, LACTC one from LA to Long Beach – independently of each other. In 1980, Proposition A, a tax proposal, was put on the ballot to allocate funding to both agencies, but the map presented to voters was almost solely based on SCRTD plans, as indicated by the title “rail rapid transit system.”

In the end, both ideas won out and in 1993 light rail and heavy rail were unified to form the present-day LACMTA, relegating the RTD to history, and today the two modes continue to expand side by side. But the above map imagines a scenario where neither the LACTC nor light rail concept gained traction, and the RTD was enabled with sufficient funds to build out the proposed countywide heavy rail network, and imagines a network of routes following those on the Measure A “rail rapid transit system” diagram.

Transit Maps says:

This is a fun little “what if” map here from Julian – imagining an alternative development of rail transit in Los Angeles County to what we have now. His concept matches the corridors defined in the Proposition A map he references above, though I’m imagining that the proposed routes in his map are of his own devising.

The map is both familiar and strange, with some segments that echo reality, others that take very different routes and others that are still a long way from being built (the Sepulveda Pass, in particular). Stylistically, I’m really liking the 1970s look: all fat, chunky lines and big, round station markers. The drab olive colour of the ocean really adds to this as well. The use of the old SCRTD logo is a nice touch as well.