Horse Trails to Regional Rails: The Story of Public Transit in Greater Cleveland [Hardcover]

James A. Toman (Author), Blaine S. Hays (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1996

The history of public transportation in Greater Cleveland spans two centuries. As the city developed from a trading post on Lake Erie to an industrial giant and ever-growing urban center, transportation policies and practices both promoted and reflected the dynamics of change. From the opening of the Ohio and Erie Canal to the opening of the new waterfront rapid transit, Toman and Hays trace the ever-changing contours of a metropolitan area and the modes of transportation available to its public.

The scope of the book is comprehensive--canal, river, lake, and air transport--but the focus is on Cleveland's streetcars, interurbans, trackless trolleys, buses, and rapid transit trains. It also explores the effect of the coming of the automobile and its inevitable impact on the city.

Due attention is given to political, social, and technological forces that affected public transportation. The authors are unapologetically nostalgic when discussing the "golden years" of electric operations (1888-1963), a time when people seemed to enjoy the city more.

The book contains maps of the changing transportation infrastructure and striking photographs, most not published until now. It will be invaluable to a wide audience--historians, collectors, transportation professionals, and those who love cities.

Editorial Reviews

Review

With its hundreds of historical photographs, Horse Trails To Regional Rails tells the story of two centuries of public transportation in Greater Cleveland as it developed from a trading post on Lake Erie to an industrial giant of the American heartland. A growing urban center, transportation policies and practices both promoted and reflected the dynamics of change from the opening of the Ohio and Erie Canal to the opening of the new waterfront rapid transit. The scope of Horse Trails To Regional Rails is comprehensive (canal, river, lake, and air transport) with a focus is on Cleveland's streetcars, interurbans, trackless trolleys, buses, and rapid transit trains. Also explored are the effects of the coming of the automobile and its inevitable impact on the city. Detailed maps show the changing transportation infrastructure, and due attention is given to the political, social, and technological forces that affected public transportation. Horse Trails To Regional Rails is a minor masterpiece of historical scholarship and a benchmark publication. -- Midwest Book Review

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Kent State Univ Pr; 1st ed edition (August 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873385470
• ISBN-13: 978-0873385473
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,005,871 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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