Ray Bradbury was apparently a huge advocate of monorails for Los Angeles back in the 1960s. I think they are still a viable idea and should be built instead of subways. I wrote an article about it for my blog called "I Love Los Angeles, But..." including a great quote from Bradbury. Check it out: http://www.ilovelabut.com/?p=122
There is a monorail in Seattle. That one in the picture looks as if it wouldn't go anyplace. I still don't understand how L. A. continues to function without public transportation. Maybe people who can't afford their own cars simply don't live there, but what about those who are elderly, have vision or mobility or other problems? Surely they don't ALL drive or have chauffeurs!
Posts: 7334 | Location: Dayton, Washington, USA | Registered: 03 December 2001
Yes, I was just in Seattle and loved the monorail. Even though it is just a mile long, it convinced me that it could be done on a large scale here in LA. We have a pretty extensive bus system here, but of course buses get stuck in traffic, so it is not as effective as monorails would be. By the way, that photo is from the film "Fahrenheit 451." It was a really cool monorail!
Yes, I have heard that Ray Bradbury is not only a fan of monorails, but also of pedestrian-friendly urban designs that are made possible by getting most of the transportation off the ground level. And of course he’s a notorious critic of the automobile and what it has done to our cities and our way of life. In fact he was a strong advocate of Walt Disney’s EPCOT project – not the theme park that was ultimately built, but Walt’s City of the Future that was to be served by monorails and people-movers. It should come as no surprise that in the half-century since the first monorails debuted there have been significant improvements over the original monorail concept. Briefly, the problem with any sort of train, wether subway, light rail, or monorail, is that it follows a fixed route, on a fixed schedule, and must stop at every station. The fixed route means that most trips involves at least one transfer – which slows you down. The fixed schedule means you have to wait for the next train – which particularly at off-peak times can be a long time. And stopping at every station obviously slows you down even further.
Advances in computers, sensors, and control systems have made possible a new kind of transportation system called Personal Rapid Transit that combines the best features of public transit and the automobile, without the drawbacks of either. There’s a lot more to it than what I have stated here. If you’re curious, take a look at the Advanced Transit Association’s 25-page report “Rethinking Transportation” at:
I would love to send a hard-copy of this to Ray Bradbury because I honestly think he would find it fascinating. I’m sure there’s no way to contact him directly, but does anyone know of someone I could send it to who would pass it on to Bradbury it it’s deemed of interest?
Posts: 1 | Location: Lodi, CA | Registered: 04 March 2011
Originally posted by Will Ackel: I would love to send a hard-copy of this to Ray Bradbury because I honestly think he would find it fascinating. I’m sure there’s no way to contact him directly, but does anyone know of someone I could send it to who would pass it on to Bradbury it it’s deemed of interest?
I'll do it. I have a small pile of stuff I need to give him anyway the next time I go over to visit.
forrestjbradbury at gmail dot com
"Live Forever!"
Posts: 6909 | Location: 11 South Saint James Street, Green Town, Illinois | Registered: 02 October 2002
