'63 Speech Gave Glimpse Into Future of Transit

This week marked the 50th anniversary of a 1963 speech that previewed much of what the future had in store for local transit.

The "1963 vision for the future of local transportation" presented by C.M. Gilliss, executive director of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority, referred to TAP-like smart card technology, according to Metro blog The Source.

He shows his individually coded credit card to the magic-eye fare computer, is admitted through the turnstile concourse and is taken by escalator quickly to the train platform. A computer-tabulating device will automatically record his entrance and his exit and he will be billed automatically for his total mileage at the end of the month.

The speech, which was part of a proposal for a 58-mile rapid transit system, also mentioned a subway to Westwood, according to The Source. Four proposed corridors for transit were eventually constructed.

Read the speech in full here.