The year was 1953, when the last Pacific Electric streetcar traveled between Los Angeles and Santa Monica. On May 9, 2016, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti previewed the new 6.6 miles of light rail, an extension to the existing Los Angeles MTA Blue Line, that will open to the public on May 20.
The official name of the extension is the Metro Expo Line, as the line largely parallels Exposition Boulevard, passing through Westwood, West L.A., and Santa Monica.
Kinkisharyo USA is assembling 78 new LRVs for the line at its facility in Palmdale, Calif.
And yes, for film trivia, in 1953 “The Greatest Show on Earth” won the best film Oscar, and Gary Cooper won best actor for “High Noon.”