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Bart: The Dramatic History of the Bay Area Rapid Transit System Paperback – November 7, 2016

by Michael C Healy (Author)

7 customer reviews

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The history of Bay Area Rapid Transit, as told by ''Mr. BART'' himself

When BART opened in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1972, it became a catalyst for a renaissance in modern rail transit, both nationally and internationally. The concept as sold to Bay Area voters was gargantuan: by adopting aerospace technologies such as microchips for ground transportation, the new computer-operated rail system would bridge counties and curb urban sprawl amid a booming automobile culture. But it all came within a gnat's eyelash of not happening. The question raised by pundits and taxpayers alike was: would this space-age plan actually work, or be the biggest boondoggle in the country's history?

In the first-ever history book about BART, longtime agency spokesman Michael C. Healy gives an insider's account of the rapid transit system's inception, hard-won approval, construction, and operations, ''warts and all.'' Written with a master storyteller's homey wit and sharp attention to detail, Healy recreates the politically fraught venture to bring a new kind of public transit to the West Coast. What emerges is a sense of the individuals who made (and make) BART happen. From tales of staying up until 3:00 a.m. with Bill Stokes and Jack Everson to hear the election results for the rapid transit vote or weathering scandals, strikes, and growing pains, this look behind the scenes of an iconic, seemingly monolithic structure reveals people at their most human-and determined to change the status quo.

Bart: The Dramatic History of the Bay Area Rapid Transit System

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Editorial Reviews

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“The Metro. The T. The Tube. The world's most famous subway systems are known by simple monikers, and San Francisco's BART belongs in that class. Michael C. Healy delivers a tour-de-force telling of its roots, hard-fought approval, and challenging construction that will delight fans of American urban history.” --Doug Most, author of The Race Underground: Boston, New York, and the Incredible Rivalry That Built America's First Subway

“From Emperor Norton's 1872 dream of a transbay tunnel to the BART tube opening one hundred years later, Healy explores the nuanced history of the Bay Area's subway system through the convergent lenses of social, cultural, engineering, and political forces. In this exquisitely researched work, Healy not only brings the dramatic stories of BART's development to light, but shares the fragile web of energies, power, funding, and sheer will that created this monumental system of people-moving.” --Anthea M. Hartig, executive director of the California Historical Society

From the Inside Flap

When BART opened in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1972, it became a catalyst for a renaissance in modern rail transit, both nationally and internationally. The concept as sold to Bay Area voters was gargantuan: by adopting aerospace technologies such as microchips for ground transportation, the new computer-operated rail system would bridge counties and curb urban sprawl amid a booming automobile culture. But it all came within a gnat's eyelash of not happening. The question raised by pundits and taxpayers alike was: would this space-age plan actually work, or be the biggest boondoggle in the country's history? In the first-ever history book about BART, longtime agency spokesman Michael C. Healy gives an insider's account of the rapid transit system's inception, hard-won approval, construction, and operations, "warts and all." Written with a master storyteller's homey wit and sharp attention to detail, Healy recreates the politically fraught venture to bring a new kind of public transit to the West Coast. What emerges is a sense of the individuals who made (and make) BART happen. From tales of staying up until 3:00 a.m. with Bill Stokes and Jack Everson to hear the election results for the rapid transit vote or weathering scandals, strikes, and growing pains, this look behind the scenes of an iconic, seemingly monolithic structure reveals people at their most human-and determined to change the status quo.

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Product details

Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Heyday Books; 1 edition (November 7, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1597143707
ISBN-13: 978-1597143707
Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.8 x 8.9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #369,747 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #28 in Books > Engineering & Transportation > Transportation > Mass Transit
- #110 in Books > Engineering & Transportation > Transportation > History > Railroads
- #181 in Books > Engineering & Transportation > Transportation > Railroads

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Top Customer Reviews

is the perfect person to write this combination history and tell-all book ...

ByA. Luederon March 31, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

The author, given his history as a BART employee with key access to the major players and behind the scenes activity of BART, is the perfect person to write this combination history and tell-all book about the San Francisco Bay Area's highly dysfunctional, yet desperately needed, public transport system. Michael Healy provides abundant detail around key decisions and events during BART's history, but also has an engaging writing style that makes this book a real page turner, rather than a dry book of statistics and dates. His telling of the internal mole hunt around a group of whistle-blowing engineers is really like a well-crafted mystery tale that had me on the edge of my seat. But he also highlights some lighter moments, such as his unorthodox decision to hire Henny Youngman (Take my BART - please!) as a spokesman. And his retelling of the many (literally) backroom deals that created BART is riveting, especially where he shows how close BART was to never existing due to political machinations. But most of all, the author shows how many of the problems plaguing BART today (technical problems; poor management; union issues; arrogance leading to poor planning (no redundancies built into the system because the initial engineers boasted of an ongoing 0% failure level!) have their origins in the heady mishmash of personalities, technologies, and ego that came together 50 years ago.

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this is an easy and engaging read

Byawon December 16, 2016

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This book provides a true behind-the-scenes look at critical moments in BART's history and gives a flavor for the grit required to deliver bold government initiatives. Even if you're not a train buff, this is an easy and engaging read.

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Five Stars

Bycs millson April 6, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Great

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Five Stars

Bydeborah hadlon April 18, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Thought it was a fascinating review !!

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Five Stars

ByAmazon Customeron January 11, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Good book for this important BART history.

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This Book Tells About The Interesting History Of BART In The San Francisco Bay Area.

ByWilliamon March 6, 2017

Format: Paperback

The author of this book shows that BART has an interesting history. He tells about an Oakland mayor who insisted that BART reroute tracks around a hardware store. However, the hardware store later went out of business. In 1979, a fire in the Transbay tube resulted in injuries and the death of one firefighter. The 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake was a disaster to the San Francisco Bay Area. However, BART kept running even though the Bay Bridge went out of service. The author of the book admits that BART could be improved. The BART system carries approximately 450,000 users a day. It was originally designed for 250,000. There is a lot of wear and tear. However, he still believes that for the most part, BART has been a success. The original cost was $1 billion to $1.4 billion. To replace it today would cost approximately $40 billion.

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No Mention of 2013 Strikes or Design Limitations

ByJerry Robbinson May 16, 2017

Format: Paperback

This is an informative and lively history of the BART system, which I use frequently. It covers many of the successes and setbacks experienced in funding, building and operating the system, but curiously fails to mention the horrendous 2013 labor strikes and the deaths of two BART employees who were hit by a train during the second strike. I was hoping to learn more of the design limitations built into the system such as the lack of crossover tracks to allow trains to bypass breakdowns, but enjoyed the book’s inside perspective and amusing anecdotes.

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