The Big Parade ia a 35 mile, two day stairway hike through Los Angeles.
Many people don’t realize that L.A. has a network of public stairways connecting hillside streets.
The walk is a great opportunity to see a different side of this city.
Before L.A. was saturated with automobiles, there was a robust public transit system consisting mainly of streetcars.
The stairways were built so that riders could reach the streetcars more easily from their homes in the hills.
Some of the houses were (and still are) accessible only by staircase. This is artist Paul Landacre’s cabin, now a historic cultural monument.
In the 1950s the streetcars and tracks were removed to make way for cars and busses. General Motors, Firestone and other car-related companies were involved in the business and subsequent court cases that led to their demise. Nevermind the conspiracy theories, the people of L.A. and every other city in the USA were already hooked on cars.
It’s kind of cool to imagine what L.A. would be like without cars. Looking back on it, the dismantling of a clean, electric-powered railway was probably not the best thing for this city.
Today, ridership on public transportation, bicycles and even walking, are growing. The Department of Transportation will spend record amounts this year on bike lanes and pedestrian zones. The age of the automobile may be over. Are you ready to take the stairs? I am.
See a few more shots from The Big Parade here.
Awesome shots! It looks so much cooler in black and white.