{"title":"Transportation--Public Transportation","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"the-lost-subways-of-north-america-a-cartographic-guide-to-the-past-present-and-what-might-have-been","title":"The Lost Subways of North America: A Cartographic Guide to the Past, Present, and What Might Have Been","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA visual exploration of the transit histories of twenty-three US and Canadian cities.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Every driver in North America shares one miserable, soul-sucking universal experience--being stuck in traffic. But things weren't always like this. Why is it that the mass transit systems of most cities in the United States and Canada are now utterly inadequate? \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Lost Subways of North America \u003c\/i\u003eoffers a new way to consider this eternal question, with a strikingly visual--and fun--journey through past, present, and unbuilt urban transit. Using meticulous archival research, cartographer and artist Jake Berman has successfully plotted maps of old train networks covering twenty-three North American metropolises, ranging from New York City's Civil War-era plan for a steam-powered subway under Fifth Avenue to the ultramodern automated Vancouver SkyTrain and the thousand-mile electric railway system of pre-World War II Los Angeles. He takes us through colorful maps of old, often forgotten streetcar lines, lost ideas for never-built transit, and modern rail systems--drawing us into the captivating transit histories of US and Canadian cities. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Berman combines vintage styling with modern printing technology to create a sweeping visual history of North American public transit and urban development. With more than one hundred original maps, accompanied by essays on each city's urban development, this book presents a fascinating look at North American rapid transit systems. \u003cdiv style=\"display:none\"\u003eISBN-10: 0226829790\u003cbr\u003eISBN-13: 9780226829791\u003cbr\u003eAuthor: Berman, Jake, Berman, Jake\u003cbr\u003ePublisher: University of Chicago Press\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"University of Chicago Press","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover (Nov 2023)","offer_id":46079983059141,"sku":"9780226829791","price":33.25,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0708\/6414\/2533\/files\/9780226829791.jpg?v=1776033406"},{"product_id":"new-yorks-secret-subway-the-underground-genius-of-alfred-beach-and-the-origins-of-mass-transit","title":"New York's Secret Subway: The Underground Genius of Alfred Beach and the Origins of Mass Transit","description":"In the nineteenth century, Manhattan's streets were so choked with pedestrians, horses, vehicles, and vendors that a trip from City Hall to Central Park could take hours. Alfred Beach had the perfect solution: build a giant pneumatic tube underneath Broadway from the Battery to Harlem. Air pressure would shoot passengers up and down the island in clean, quiet carriages. But Beach was up against the operators of the horse-drawn streetcars and the politicians in their pay, most conspicuously William M. Tweed, the notorious \"Boss\" of Tammany Hall. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York's Secret Subway: The Underground Genius of Alfred Beach and the Origins of Mass Transit \u003c\/i\u003etells a classic story of good versus evil, pitting the mild-mannered Beach, a visionary inventor and entrepreneur, against the oafish tyrant Tweed, the exemplar of corruption in the Gilded Age. It also tells the story of one of the most astonishing feats of engineering in American history, the surreptitious creation of the nation's first operational subway. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e New York seemed destined to become the second city in the world with a comprehensive subway system, after London. Unfortunately, political lethargy and greed would conspire to deny the city a subway for another thirty years. \u003cbr\u003e Yet Alfred Beach still proved conclusively the feasibility of underground railways in Manhattan, and paved the way for modern mass transportation systems. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Richly illustrated and populated with larger-than-life characters, \u003ci\u003eNew York's Secret Subway\u003c\/i\u003e will captivate readers and provide historical context for today's clashes between public interests and powerful business and political groups. Algeo tells this amazing true story in full for the first time, and although it took place more than a century ago, it will at times sound surprisingly familiar. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"display:none\"\u003eISBN-10: 1642833657\u003cbr\u003eISBN-13: 9781642833652\u003cbr\u003eAuthor: Algeo, Matthew\u003cbr\u003ePublisher: Island Press\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Island Press","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover (Sep 2025)","offer_id":46081110671557,"sku":"9781642833652","price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0708\/6414\/2533\/files\/9781642833652.jpg?v=1776043063"},{"product_id":"the-great-train-heist-the-california-smart-taxpayer-rip-off","title":"The Great Train Heist: The California Smart Taxpayer Rip-Off","description":"\u003cb\u003eCalifornia's Billion-Dollar SMART Train: America's Most Expensive Transit Failure\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) train stands as one of the most catastrophic government transportation investments in U.S. history. After burning through over $1 billion in taxpayer funds, this suburban rail system carries fewer than 3,000 daily riders while subsidizing 94% of operating costs--making it among the nation's most expensive transit failures per passenger. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Great Train Heist\u003c\/i\u003e exposes how political ambition created a \"ghost train to nowhere\" that primarily serves affluent commuters. The average SMART rider earns nearly $100,000 annually, meaning working-class taxpayers subsidize recreational train rides for the middle class. Despite promises to reduce Highway 101 traffic congestion, SMART's impact on vehicle miles traveled remains virtually zero--the diesel-powered trains often run nearly empty. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAuthor Michael J. Coffino reveals the shocking financial mismanagement, misleading voter campaigns, and conflicts of interest that enabled this boondoggle. From hidden cost overruns to inflated ridership projections, SMART exemplifies everything wrong with government transportation planning. With sales tax funding expiring in 2029, taxpayers face a critical decision about continuing to subsidize this failed experiment. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003ePerfect for readers interested in government accountability, transportation policy failures, and California politics, this meticulously researched exposé demonstrates how unlimited budgets and good intentions can create transit disasters that burden working families while serving only the wealthy. This is what every voter should know about the upcoming SMART sales tax measure.\u003cdiv style=\"display:none\"\u003eISBN-10: 1510786295\u003cbr\u003eISBN-13: 9781510786295\u003cbr\u003eAuthor: Coffino, Michael J.\u003cbr\u003ePublisher: Skyhorse Publishing\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Skyhorse Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover (Feb 2026)","offer_id":46081700167877,"sku":"9781510786295","price":32.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0708\/6414\/2533\/files\/9781510786295.jpg?v=1776048544"},{"product_id":"how-to-ride-the-subway-getting-around-on-wall-street-and-in-life","title":"How to Ride the Subway: Getting Around on Wall Street and in Life","description":"\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eHow to Ride the Subway\u003c\/i\u003e details lessons learned on investing and relationship-building from acclaimed CNBC contributor Jimmy Lebenthal.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eJimmy Lebenthal grew up in New York City in the '70s and '80s, a hardscrabble time for Gotham. As a youth, the city's extensive subway system drew his attention to a degree that can only be described as passionate. It was in those years that Jimmy first started investing in public equities. From the perspective of a seasoned subway rider, Jimmy shares his hard-fought wisdom in investing and building successful business relationships. Part how-to guide and part memoir, the whimsy, charm, and intelligence of Jimmy Lebenthal makes this book a must-read for any investor.\u003cdiv style=\"display:none\"\u003eISBN-13: 9798895651988\u003cbr\u003eAuthor: Lebenthal, Jimmy\u003cbr\u003ePublisher: Regalo Press\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Regalo Press","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover (Mar 2026)","offer_id":46099876937925,"sku":"9798895651988","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0708\/6414\/2533\/files\/9798895651988.jpg?v=1776646113"},{"product_id":"new-tricks-for-old-bureaucracies-improving-policy-outcomes-in-the-public-sector","title":"New Tricks for Old Bureaucracies: Improving Policy Outcomes in the Public Sector","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eReady to transform government from the inside out? It's easy to complain about government bureaucracy and transportation in large American cities, but what if you could actually improve them instead?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThat's exactly what the authors of \u003ci\u003eNew Tricks for Old Bureaucracies\u003c\/i\u003e set out to do in the Office of Extraordinary Innovation at Los Angeles Metro, a transportation agency with a $9.5 billion annual budget in a county larger than 40 states. Now you can learn from their hard-earned successes, and valuable mistakes, as they provide helpful lessons learned for anyone looking to make change in public agencies.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eYou'll learn how to: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNavigate internal resistance\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBuild coalitions and fix processes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRecognize impenetrable fiefdoms\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePick your battles and win them\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eUsing amusing behind-the-scenes stories, \u003ci\u003eNew Tricks\u003c\/i\u003e presents a \u003cb\u003epragmatic playbook\u003c\/b\u003e for those who want to deliver lasting government reform, and an outright \u003cb\u003enerd-fest\u003c\/b\u003e for anyone working in public transportation!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"display:none\"\u003eISBN-10: 1637429444\u003cbr\u003eISBN-13: 9781637429440\u003cbr\u003eAuthor: Schank, Joshua, Huang, Emma, Westervelt Berg, Marla\u003cbr\u003ePublisher: Business Expert Press\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Business Expert Press","offers":[{"title":"Paperback (Mar 2026)","offer_id":46099941654725,"sku":"9781637429440","price":34.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0708\/6414\/2533\/files\/9781637429440.jpg?v=1776646923"},{"product_id":"railroaded-a-motormans-story-of-the-new-york-city-subway","title":"Railroaded: A Motorman's Story of the New York City Subway","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe New York City subway system is one of the largest and oldest in the world, still carrying traces of the transport systems that came before it. Some of its elevated tracks are remnants of steam railroads, and some tunnels run where canoes served as ferries. For passengers, riding the subway can feel like stepping into another world, dark and dank and sometimes dangerous. Now just imagine what it's like to work there every day.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOne of the few subway workers who went on to earn a PhD from Harvard, historian Fred Naiden gives readers a firsthand look at what it was like to work as a subway porter, a motorman, and a locomotive engineer during the 1980s. He recounts the labor activism of his fellow MTA employees, who advocated for better conditions, higher pay, and less institutional racism. He also shares wild stories about the riders he encountered, from a homeless former realtor who worked as a mob frontman to an angry passenger who pulled a gun on him while the train was stuck at a stop signal. Above all, \u003ci\u003eRailroaded \u003c\/i\u003ewill answer many questions about the New York subway system, including how it could be improved.\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"display:none\"\u003eISBN-10: 1978844093\u003cbr\u003eISBN-13: 9781978844094\u003cbr\u003eAuthor: Naiden, Fred S.\u003cbr\u003ePublisher: Rutgers University Press\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Rutgers University Press","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover (Apr 2026)","offer_id":46100250624197,"sku":"9781978844094","price":26.55,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0708\/6414\/2533\/files\/9781978844094.jpg?v=1776648539"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.inveni.store\/collections\/transportation-public-transportation.oembed","provider":"Inveni","version":"1.0","type":"link"}