The Lost Subways of North America: A Cartographic Guide to the Past, Present, and What Might Have Been

The Lost Subways of North America: A Cartographic Guide to the Past, Present, and What Might Have Been by Jake Berman

This book is a very depressing look at transit in North America. Most places had decent transit at one time, then had it wiped out in favor of cars. There had been various attempts at implementing good transit that have fallen apart. Much of the newer transit in the United States has been overpriced and of minimal utility. (Many are described with limited attractions or places that could be more easily walked.) There have been a few successful modern transit systems. Canada has generally done a good job. Houston of all places has followed best practices by sending transit to dense areas and allowing dense development to be located there. (Dallas has done the opposite, making for a much less useful transit system.)

Transit systems have failed for various reasons. Economic collapses and wars have eliminated funding. Investors and the mob have driven others down. Though most come down to various politics. The government was covering 90% of the cost of freeways, so government loved the gravy train at the expense of transit investment. Then the negatives of freeway construction has lead to excessive government approval process. City/Suburb conflicts make it difficult to get consensus on regional transit support. Past transit monopolies and extortion soured the public view on supporting transit. 

The book includes map of the original transit systems, proposals that were not built and the current systems. It can be quite depressing to look at all those details. There are so many "modern" transit systems that have too much focus on political appeasement and parking and not enough on making walkable communities.