Driving in Los Angeles is cruel and unusual punishment. (Image by Downtowngal.)

The Associated Press has a story about Los Angeles trying to undo the traffic mess it created for itself when it long ago destroyed its beautiful streetcar system. L.A. has temporarily raised taxes and is appealing for a federal loan to reinvent its mass transit system. An excerpt from an article by Daisy Nguyen:

“In the first half of the 20th century the Los Angeles region boasted an extensive system of streetcars and high-speed electric railways including the famed Red Cars. After World War II, Southern California began abandoning those systems in favor of personal automobiles and freeways, leaving mass transit to buses.

Now, with gridlock commonplace, the focus is back on high-capacity transit systems–light rail, interurban heavy rail, dedicated busways–to catch up with the transportation demands of millions of people.

But with federal and state transportation funds dwindling due to a reduction in gas tax revenue, experts say the time is right to test innovative ideas in transportation financing.

‘The national government should help cities that are helping themselves and take advantage of these bold plans to transform how these places operate and function,’ said Robert Puentes, a fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program.”