Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
April 1, 1967 The recently created U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) formally began operations as the 12th federal cabinet department with a considerable amount of fun and fanfare on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Thousands gathered at that park in the nation’s capital for a celebration featuring a broad-based transportation theme and including music from... Continue Reading →
March 30, 1893 The Te Aro Extension, a short branch line railway that was part of the long-distance railway known as the Wairarapa Line on New Zealand’s North Island, was opened to the public. The 1.1-mile (1.8 kilometer) Te Aro Extension, which was also called the Te Aro Branch, was built in the city of... Continue Reading →
March 29, 1930 The Longview Bridge, spanning the Columbia River, was officially opened. This structure serves as a link between the cities of Longview, Washington, and Rainier, Oregon. The bridge was designed by structural engineer Joseph Strauss, who also played a major role in the creation of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge in California. The... Continue Reading →
March 26, 2006 The Tunnel Tiergarten Spreebogen in the central area of Berlin was opened to vehicular traffic. This structure is part of the federal highway designated as the Bundesstraße 96, and it serves as a link between Berlin Hauptbahnhof, the main railway station in Germany’s capital city; and the locality (neighborhood) of Tiergarten in the... Continue Reading →
March 25, 1932 The Anacapa Island Lighthouse on the entrance to Santa Barbara Channel – a section of the Pacific Ocean between the Southern California coast and the northern Channel Islands – made its debut. Anacapa Island is actually a chain of three small islets; the lighthouse was built on the easternmost islet, which is a... Continue Reading →
March 23, 2013 A station of the Paris Métro rapid transit system made its debut near the town hall of Montrouge, a commune in the southern suburbs of France’s capital city. This station is formally known as Mairie de Montrouge (Town Hall of Montrouge), and it was the 302nd station of the Paris Métro to... Continue Reading →
March 22, 2016 A pedestrian bridge at the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) was officially opened to foot traffic. The Moody Pedestrian Bridge crosses over a section of West Dean Keaton Street that is near the outer edge of that university’s campus. This bridge serves as a connection between facilities that are part... Continue Reading →
March 19, 1878 The Point Moore Lighthouse in the British crown colony (now state) of Western Australia (WA) was first lit. This 111.6-foot (34-meter) navigational aid is located about three miles (five kilometers) south of the downtown area of the coastal city of Geraldton in WA’s Mid West region. At the time of its debut,... Continue Reading →
March 18, 1917 Calvin Lambert became the first person to ride a motorcycle to the top of a rugged hill in the city of San Juan Capistrano in Orange County, California. San Juan Capistrano was famous by that time for the then-yearly return of the white-bellied cliff swallows to the city just in time for spring... Continue Reading →
March 16, 1957 In the state of Western Australia (WA), plans for a major transportation project in the city of Perth moved further towards full-fledged reality. John Digby Leach, who served as WA’s commissioner of main roads from 1953 to 1966, became the catalyst for this milestone when he signed a contract for building a... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 