Slides presented by Jake Coolidge at the NACIS Annual Meeting, October 14, 2011, in Madison, WI. Discusses themes from the author's Master's thesis completed in the Geography Dept. at San Jose State University.

1. No Little Plans:
Exploring Rapid Transit Development in North America
Through the Lens of Plan Design
Jake Coolidge
Spatial History Project, Stanford University
Department of Geography, San José State University
NACIS 2011 | Madison, WI

2. “I think we can take great pride in the plan we have sent on
“Make no little plans.
They have no magic to stir men’s blood and its way today...Represented
in these reports
probably themselves will not be realized.” before us is a system that almost beggars
Daniel Burnham, 1907
superlatives because of its bigness. It is big
in concept...big in size...big in benefits...and, unfortunately
but inevitably, big in cost.” Adrien Falk, 1961
Image sources:
(top left) Chicago Tribune http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/theskyline/2010/07/pbs-to-air-daniel-burnham-film-nationally-on-sept-6-.html accessed 9 April 2011
(bottom left) Local Ecologist http://localecologist.blogspot.com/2009/03/burnhams-plan-of-chicago-1909.html accessed 9 April 2011

3. Envisioning the Bay Area Rapid Transit System

4. Envisioning the Bay Area Rapid Transit System
Railway Age Weekly, Feb. 18, 1963
New York Times, Jan. 15, 1967
BART-issued postcard, Sept. 1972
Published: January 15, 1967
Copyright © The New York Times
image source, postcard: Transpress NZ http://transpressnz.blogspot.com/2011/02/bay-area-rapid-transit-san-francisco.html

5. and The Renewal of Rapid Transit in the United States
MARTA, Atlanta
opened 1979 BART, opened 1972
Metro, Washington DC
opened 1976
Image sources, top to bottom:
top left: http://www.figgbridge.com/MARTA.html accessed 11 April 2011
top right: Stokes, B.R. (1973.) “Bay Area Rapid Transit: A Transportation Planning Breakthrough.” Public Administration Review 33(3) p. 206
center: http://www.american-architecture.info/USA/USA-Washington/DC-015.htm accessed 11 April 2011
bottom right: http://discoverlosangeles.com/guides/sample-itineraries/los-angeles-metro-nightlife-itinerary.html accessed 11 April 2011
Metro, Los Angeles, opened 1993

6. and The Renewal of Rapid Transit in the United States

7. 1890
18
93
:C
hi
18 ca
97 go
1900
:B “L
os ”
19 to
automobile
1908: Ford introduces the
mass-produced private
04 n
19 : N “T
07 e ”
19 : P Y w
1910
08 hi or
in the US and Canada, 1890-1990
: N lad k C
ew elp ity
War I
World
Je hia IRT
rs S S
ey EP u
PA TA bw
1920
TH ay
Completed Rapid Transit Projects
1930
Great
19
36
:P
hi
begins long decline
la
1940
de
Depression War II
World
1925: Transit ridership
lp
hi
a
PA
TC
19 O
(e
1950
19 51: xt
54 Ch en
19 : ic sio
55 Tor ag n)
: C on o
le to Sub
w
returns to pre-war
ve
1960
automobile output
la
nd ay
1949: General Motors
19
System begins
66
:M
on
1970
19
1956: Construction of
tre
US Interstate Highway
72 al
19 : S
76 an
19 : W Fr
79 as an
19 : A hin cisc
1980
8 t g o
19 3: lant ton Ba
84 Ba a M D y
19 : M ltim A C Are
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iM M RT
1990
et
19 ro et etr
it ro o
93 Pe ra
1964: Urban Mass Transportation Act
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ge er
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le
s

8. n)
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ay
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18
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19
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19
19
1890 1900
1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
World Great World
1908: Ford introduces the 1964: Urban Mass Transportation Act
War I Depression War II
mass-produced private
automobile 1956: Construction of
US Interstate Highway
1925: Transit ridership System begins
begins long decline
1949: General Motors
returns to pre-war
Image sources:
(left to right) Heller, V. and New York Transit Museum (2004) The City Beneath Us pg. 40; automobile output
Cudahy, B. (2003). A Century of Subways pg. 65; Heller et al. (2004). pg. 14

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18
18
19
19
19
19
19
19
1890 1900
1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
World Great World
1908: Ford introduces the 1964: Urban Mass Transportation Act
War I Depression War II
mass-produced private
automobile 1956: Construction of
US Interstate Highway
1925: Transit ridership System begins
begins long decline
1949: General Motors
returns to pre-war
Image sources: automobile output
(left to right) Cudahy, B. (1990). Cash Tokens and Transfers pp. 153, 158.

10. n)
RT
sio
ay
tro BA
en
PA TA bw
xt
87 ia o RT Me a
ey EP u
(e
19 : M ltim A C Are
rs S S
O
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TH
er
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TC
nd ay
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19 3: lant ton Ba
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it ro o
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m
ro et etr
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le
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a
s
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19 51:
66
72
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36
18
18
19
19
19
19
19
19
1890 1900
1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
World Great World
1908: Ford introduces the 1964: Urban Mass Transportation Act
War I Depression War II
mass-produced private
automobile 1956: Construction of
US Interstate Highway
1925: Transit ridership System begins
begins long decline
1949: General Motors
returns to pre-war
Image sources:
Wikipedia; (left) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cincinnati_Subway_-_Race_St._Station.jpg accessed 2 Oct 2011. automobile output
(right) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cincinnati-subway-tunnnel-door.jpg accessed 2 Oct 2011.

11. n)
RT
sio
ay
tro BA
en
PA TA bw
xt
87 ia o RT Me a
ey EP u
(e
19 : M ltim A C Are
rs S S
O
Je hia IRT
TH
er
84 Ba a M D y
TC
nd ay
ov
19 3: lant ton Ba
ew elp ity
it ro o
PA
w
op il
m
ro et etr
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Pe ra
g o
”
le to Sub
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le
“L
19 : A hin cisc
”
a
s
iM M
“T
hi
le
08 hi or
go
al
: C on o
ge
lp
79 as an
n
19 : P Y
la
tre
55 Tor ag
ca
to
de
An
w
19 : W Fr
ve
19 : ic
os
on
hi
la
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76 an
54 Ch
19 : N
os
:C
:B
hi
:M
et
19 : S
:L
:P
8 t
93
97
04
19 51:
66
72
93
36
18
18
19
19
19
19
19
19
1890 1900
1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
World Great World
1908: Ford introduces the 1964: Urban Mass Transportation Act
War I Depression War II
mass-produced private
automobile 1956: Construction of
US Interstate Highway
1925: Transit ridership System begins
begins long decline
1949: General Motors
returns to pre-war
Image sources: automobile output
(left to right) Johnson, M. (1993). The Second Gold Rush plate 4; Heller et al (2004), p. 56.

12. 1890
18
93
:C
hi
18 ca
97 go
1900
:B “L
os ”
19 to
automobile
1908: Ford introduces the
mass-produced private
04 n
19 : N “T
07 e ”
19 : P Y w
1910
08 hi or
: N lad k C
ew elp ity
War I
World
Je hia IRT
rs S S
ey EP u
PA TA bw
1920
TH ay
1930
Great
19
36
:P
hi
begins long decline
la
1940
de
Depression War II
World
1925: Transit ridership
lp
hi
a
PA
TC
19 O
(e
1950
19 51: xt
54 Ch en
19 : ic sio
55 Tor ag n)
: C on o
le to Sub
w
returns to pre-war
ve
1960
automobile output
la
nd ay
1949: General Motors
19
System begins
66
:M
on
1970
19
1956: Construction of
tre
US Interstate Highway
72 al
19 : S
76 an
19 : W Fr
79 as an
19 : A hin cisc
1980
8 t g o
19 3: lant ton Ba
84 Ba a M D y
19 : M ltim A C Are
87 ia o RT Me a
: D m re A tro BA
iM M RT
1990
et
19 ro et etr
it ro o
93 Pe ra
1964: Urban Mass Transportation Act
:L op il
os le
An m
ov
ge er
2000
le
s

13. 1890
18
93
:C
hi
18 ca
97 go
1900
:B “L
os ”
19 to
automobile
1908: Ford introduces the
mass-produced private
04 n
19 : N “T
10 total, from 1925 to 1968
07 e ”
19 : P Y w
1910
08 hi or
: N lad k C
ew elp ity
War I
World
Je hia IRT
rs S S
ey EP u
PA TA bw
1920
TH ay
19
25
:L
os
Rapid Transit Plans Included in Study
1930
An
Great
ge
le
19 s
36
:P
19 hi
begins long decline
39 la
1940
de
Depression War II
World
:C
1925: Transit ridership
hi lp
19 ca hi
45 go a PA
:C TC
19 lev O
(e
1950
19 51 ela
195 : xt
53: Ch nd en
19 4:M ic ,T sio
o
19 5 To n a or n)
565: rotn go ont
: SCle rtea Su o
returns to pre-war
an ve o l bw
1960
automobile output
19 Fr lan ay
62 an d
1949: General Motors
19 : A ci
System begins
sc
66 tl
an o
19 : M Ba
68 o ta, y
Ar
1970
19 : B ntr Wa
1956: Construction of
US Interstate Highway
72 alt ea s ea
19 : S im l hin
76 an or gt
on
19 : W Fr e, L D
79 as an os
ci A C
19 : A hin sc n
1980
8 t g o g
19 3: lant ton Ba ele
84 Ba a M D y s
19 : M ltim A C Are
87 ia o RT Me a
: D m re A tro BA
iM M RT
1990
et
19 ro et etr
it ro o
93 Pe ra
1964: Urban Mass Transportation Act
:L op il
os le
An m
ov
ge er
2000
le
s

14. Rapid Transit Plans Included in Study
and the lead firm/organization authoring the study
1925 Los Angeles Kelker, De Leuw & Co.
1939 Chicago Chicago Dept. of Subways and Traction
1945 Cleveland De Leuw, Cather & Co.
1945 Toronto Toronto Transportation Commission
1953 Montreal Montreal Transportation Commission
1956 San Francisco Bay Area Parsons, Brinckerhoff, Hall & MacDonald
1962 Washington DC National Capital Transportation Agency
1962 Atlanta Parsons, Brinckerhoff, Quade & Douglas
1968 Baltimore Daniel, Mann, Johnson & Mendenhall
1968 Los Angeles Southern California Rapid Transit District

15. Los Angeles, 1925
Atlanta, 1962
Chicago, 1939
Los Angeles, 1968
Montreal, 1953
Washington DC, 1962
San Francisco Bay Area, 1956
Toronto, 1945
Baltimore, 1968

16. Findings , Themes
• BART’s exceptionality, tempered
• Shifting visual strategies
• A common theme: the cure for traffic congestion
• Emerging with the BART plan: a re-imagined role for rapid transit

17. BART’s exceptionality, tempered
San Francisco Bay Area, 1956

18. San Francisco Bay Area, 1956

19. San Francisco Bay Area, 1956

20. San Francisco Bay Area, 1956

21. San Francisco Bay Area, 1956

22. Los Angeles, 1925

23. Los Angeles, 1925

24. Los Angeles, 1925

25. Baltimore, 1968

26. Baltimore, 1968

27. Baltimore, 1968

28. Baltimore, 1968

29. Shifting visual strategies
Chicago, 1939

30. San Francisco Bay Area, 1956

31. Los Angeles, 1968

32. Los Angeles, 1968

33. Los Angeles, 1968

34. A common theme: the cure for traffic congestion
Toronto, 1945

35. Toronto, 1945

36. San Francisco Bay Area, 1956
Atlanta, 1962

37. Emerging with the BART plan: a re-imagined role for rapid transit

38. Cleveland, 1945

39. Montreal, 1953

40. San Francisco Bay Area, 1956

41. Washington DC, 1962

42. Atlanta, 1962

43. Baltimore, 1968

44. Los Angeles, 1968

45. Opportunities, suggestions for future research
• Look more broadly at rapid transit planning, from 1860s London to
the present. What plan-making conventions remained a constant,
while others changed with the times?
• Look at transit planning generally, across modes. Do different design
tactics indicate different priorities, and is this driven by the chosen
transportation technology?
jakecoolidge@gmail.com
jakecoolidge.wordpress.com