Pacific Electric’s Hill Street Tunnels: An LA Icon
By Ralph Cantos
Pacific Electric Hollywood car no. 614 poses for the camera at 1st & Hill Street in this 1923 photo. The south end of the Hill Street tunnel portals dominate the scene. For almost four decades, the twin tunnels stood proudly at the top end of the Hill Street business district.
The rail portion of the twin tunnels was first proposed in 1903. Then as now, bureaucratic “BS” delayed the start of construction for almost 4 years. Finally in 1907, the LA & Pacific took matters into their hands, secured the necessary permits and began construction. Construction of the rail tunnel was completed in 1909.
The rail tunnel saved LAP cars 15 minutes by not having to go around the ‘The Big Hill.” So impressed by the time saved by LAP cars using the tunnel, LA City officials got off their duffs and built an identical auto tunnel in 1913.
Around 1939, the LARY began using the rail portion of the twin bore for car lines 2 and L.
The last use of the tunnel by the LARY cars was in late 1947 thanks to the dirty deeds of the new LATL. PE cars continued to roll through the tunnel until the end of 1950 with the last Echo Park Avenue franchise car.
City of Los Angeles management wasted no time in converting the rail portion of the tunnel for auto and bus use.. The end of the iconic tunnels would come in 1954 when the BUNKER REDEVELOPMENT Project leveled the entire hill over the tunnels. By the end of 1955, there was no trace of the tunnels to be found.
Ralph Cantos Collection
Leave a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Hi Ralph cantos
The Hill Street tunnels and Hollywood cars appear in The-Setup (1949). About 30 minutes in, Audrey Totter stands above the south portals tearing up a ticket for her husband’s (Robert Ryan) supposedly fixed fight at the Paradise City Athletic Club. Totter had just walked along a street full of hustlers and sharpies past bars, a dance hall, and a penny arcade. At the end of this strip she had descended stairs to reach the balustrade above the tunnel portals. An establishing shot shows Hollywood car 707 signed for “Subway Terminal” emerge from the railway bore. Later on car 707 signed for “Echo Park” comes up Hill Street, swerves from the center of the street, and enters the railway bore below Totter, who is leaning against the balustrade. As she worries at the ticket motor coach 6324 enters the roadway bore. Its route sign flummoxes me. It seems to be: 41 Temp.E [something] Fountain. Maybe I need a new TV. Finally, car 707 enters the railway bore again (who cares about continuity in this context?) as Totter shreds her ticket and the pieces flutter down toward 707’s roof.