The Great Society Subway

Posted on 27 November 2018 by Zachary M. Schrag

Drivers in the nation s capital face a host of hazards high speed traffic circles, presidential motorcades, jaywalking tourists, and bewildering signs that send unsuspecting motorists from the Lincoln Memorial into suburban Virginia in less than two minutes And parking Don t bet on it unless you re in the fast lane of the Capital Beltway during rush hour.Little wonder, then, that so many residents and visitors rely on the Washington Metro, the 106 mile rapid transit system that serves the District of Columbia and its inner suburbs In the first comprehensive history of the Metro, Zachary M Schrag tells the story of the Great Society Subway from its earliest rumblings to the present day, from Arlington to College Park, Eisenhower to Marion Barry.Unlike the pre World War II rail systems of New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia, the Metro was built at a time when most American families already owned cars, and when most American cities had dedicated themselves to freeways, not subways Why did the nation s capital take a different path What were the consequences of that decision Using extensive archival research as well as oral history, Schrag argues that the Metro can be understood only in the political context from which it was born the Great Society liberalism of the Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon administrations The Metro emerged from a period when Americans believed in public investments suited to the grandeur and dignity of the world s richest nation The Metro was built not merely to move commuters, but in the words of Lyndon Johnson, to create a place where the city of man serves not only the needs of the body and the demands of commerce but the desire for beauty and the hunger for community Schrag scrutinizes the project from its earliest days, including general planning, routes, station architecture, funding decisions, land use impacts, and the behavior of Metro riders The story of the Great Society Subway sheds light on the development of metropolitan Washington, postwar urban policy, and the promises and limits of rail transit in American cities. New Read [ The Great Society Subway ] Author [ Zachary M. Schrag ] – kino-fada.fr Should be required reading for everyone in DC It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me think, and it maybe just maybe restored a little of my hope in Metro s future After all, the system has already made it through an unimaginable amount of crap and interference What s onedecade of political strife and lack of funds I moved to DC in 2004, when the Green Line was finally finished and the final Red and Blue Line stops mere months from opening The metro map save for the Silver Line Should be required reading for everyone in DC It made me laugh, it made me cry, it ma...Schrag has written a great history of the planning and construction the Washington Metro, and adroitly describes the political processes that both threatened and facilitated Metro Being the nation s capital meant that Metro got pulled into political currents, some having to do with home rule, some with the fragmented jurisdictions of the DMV, some regarding specific to DC quirks such as the arts commission , and some regarding Congressional control over the District Moreover, Metro in DC was Schrag has written a great history of the planning and construction the Washington Metro, and adroitly describes the political processes that both threatened and facilitated Metro Being the nation s capital meant that Metro got pulled into political currents, some having to do with h...This was a fascinating, in depth account of the Washington Metro Following the process from its very beginnings as a plan contrary to freeway development, the book finishes up near present day with the opening of the final 5 Green Line stations and the extension of the Blue Line to Largo, MD.I would recommend parts of the book to anyone, but it will be best enjoyed by DC Metro riders Some of the most interesting sections were the anecdotes explaining names of stations, locations of the lines, This was a fascinating, in depth account of the Washington Metro Following the process from its very beginnings as a plan contrary to freeway development, the book finishes up near present day with the opening of the final 5 Green Line stations and the extension of the Blue Line to Largo, MD.I would recommend parts of the book to anyone, but it will be best enjoyed by DC Metro riders Some of the most interesting sections were the anecdotes explaining names of stations, locations of the lines, and the design of the Metro Riding the trains while after reading this book has become an experience, as you see the legacy of WMATA s early history, for better or worse.The early bits are a bit of a slog, as keeping track of several commissions an...While reading this book I didn t enjoy the style of prose, however all the information I learned has wormed its way intoof my conversations than I ever would have predicted I am very glad to have read it.So muchthan a book on the Metro, it s a social and political history of the region post WWII.Astonishingly, nerdily, this is a great read Schrag gets deeply into the process of building Metro, the DC subway system He s over interested and neurotic about the details, and I loved every second of it.As a Washingtonian mass transit nerd, this book was great.One of my favorites, great history up to the mid 2000 s of DC s Metro and all the quirks that put it together.This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers To view it, click here Interesting look at the history of the DC metro through a variety of lenses The book explores the history of the metro including the metro s design, the competing philosophies behind transportation in the district primarily rail versus auto centric , the political fighting over funding, differences in strategies between the city and the various suburbs, architecture neo classical to conform with the rest of the city or somethingmodern , and debate over the general purpose of the metro Interesting look at the history of the DC metro through a variety of lenses The book explores the history of the metro including the metro s design, the competing philosophies behind transportation in the district primarily rail versus auto centric , the political fighting over funding, differences in strategies between the city and the various suburbs, architecture neo classical to conform with the rest of the city or somethingmodern , and debate over the general purpose of the metro to serve residents or tourists The author does a good job hig...Got into grad school for transportation planning in DC a year after finishing this book nearly to the day Coincidence.yeah, probably.

English
27 November 2018

Zachary M. Schrag