In my first job in LA, I drove from the San Fernando Valley to LA International Airport and back via the San Diego 405 Freeway. And every morning at 6.30am driving south through the Sepulveda Pass, the traffic would already be so heavy that we’d stop. All six lanes of us would brake, then crawl, then brake, then crawl. And I would think “What must have it been like before they put the freeway in?” This photo from 1956 give us an idea as it shows the freeway in the early stages of construction when it was still a wide gash of dirt carved into the Sepulveda Pass.
This satellite image shows the 405 running through the Sepulveda Pass in January 2020.
If greed and money had not ruled the day back in the 1940s, the answer to your question would not have to be asked. Back then the area had more trolley and subway tracks than any place on Earth. If public transportation had been considered, instead of slashing through cities with freeways, we could have become the world leader in fast moving public transportation, and really served the needs of the people. When Standard Oil, BF Goodrich and the auto makers got together, bought up all the electric trolley cars and tracks, they then hauled them out to sea and dumped them, to make sure that the electric trains could never be resurrected. What a shame on our culture! Whenever I see a crowded freeway, I curse the powers that have slowed the pace of advancement. Damn them!!
There’s a lot of myths interspersed with facts about L.A.’s transit systems. If interested, search for this article on Curbed LA that I found informative: Did a Conspiracy Really Destroy LA’s Huge Streetcar System? “It’s long been suggested the iconic Red Cars fell victim to a scheme by automakers.”