Voters approve streetcar line - Los Angeles

Streetcars are coming back to downtown L.A. after voters approved a $125 million measure this week to install a streetcar line in the downtown area. The line is an effort to create an automobile-optional area in the heart of Los Angeles.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Voters approved the measure with the last ballots coming in on Monday. The measure will now finance construction of a light rail line that will run along Broadway, Hill, and Figueroa streets, encompassing about fifteen blocks.

In many major cities, such as San Francisco and New York, commuters can get around without the need for a car. Los Angeles is unusual in that respect because automobile commutes are virtually required because of the city's sprawling, horizontal nature.

This has also caused the city to become famously congested and polluted.

As the population of the city continues to rise, planners are now becoming more open to solutions that alleviate such problems.

In addition to the streetcar line, a $1.3 billion subway line is also planned to help link Pasadena and East L.A. with Long Beach and Culver City.

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