Smerk’s account, thankfully, is not just another exercise in quantitative analysis. He makes his points with words and sentences, not numbers and charts. The result is a free-flowing narrative in which changes in federal policy over the years are shown to have occurred because people interacted within certain political frames of reference… . I highly recommend this book …
-Brian J. Cudahy, Business Horizons

… a solid history of an important component of modern public policy … ably integrated with scholarship on metropolitan development so that urbanists can learn much here. -Choice

This book is ‘must’ reading for anyone who has deep interests in transit issues specifically and transportation problems in general, but it is also for all those who are more than casually curious about the dynamics of urbanization. -Economic Geography

… a highly in-depth study of the impact of governmental policies on the mass transit industry over the last few decades and where it may soon be heading. -Railfan and Railroad Magazine

… a timely and important book. -Business History Review

This important new book is the only available comprehensive survey and analysis of federal policies and programs for urban mass transit. It is a must book for anyone interested in the plight of our cities and the efforts being made to solve our transportation problems.