The Making of Modern Los Angeles with Nick Patsaouras

Nick Patsaouras will chronicle his role in modernizing Los Angeles’s transportation infrastructure, particularly his efforts in spearheading the development of the region’s subway and light rail lines and advocating for bus services. As an insider, he navigated the complex landscape of clashing egos, political maneuvering, and compromise to significantly shape the city’s transit systems.

Nick Patsaouras is the author of The Making of Modern Los Angeles. He is a former Board Member of the Southern California Rapid Transit District and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, where he was instrumental in advancing bus transportation. The Patsaouras Transit Plaza at the MTA Gateway Center/Union Station East is named in his honor.

NICK PATSAOURAS received a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from California State University, Northridge. He established an electrical engineering company in Los Angeles and designed a wide range of projects, including commercial, industrial, educational, residential, medical, institutional, religious, and entertainment. Nick has been actively involved in civic life for over 40 years. He ran for Mayor of Los Angeles in 1993 envisioning “Transportation as a Catalyst in Rebuilding LA” after the devastating 1992 LA riots. He served on the Board of Zoning Appeals, the Board of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), and the Board of the LA Department of Water and Power, helping guide infrastructure and planning policy in Los Angeles. As president of the Southern California Rapid Transit District, he helped plan the transportation network for the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. He is the author of “The Making of Modern Los Angeles.”