Ralph E. Rechel papers

The Ralph E. Rechel Papers consist mainly of documents created by him or his colleagues during his years as a transportation analyst and consultant for various public and private organizations. The collection contains assorted memoranda, reports, journals, correspondence, testimonials, news clippings and pamphlets. These range in date from 1947 to 1980. There is a heavy concentration of materials from the early 1960's to the late 1970's which represent Rechel's private consulting work, often in association with the Institute for Public Management.

The collection is divided into four different series of records. The largest of these is one that deals with Urban Transit Issues and includes separate categories for Financial and Economic Issues, Highway and Motor Vehicle Issues, and Urban Mass Transportation. Contained in this series are a number of documents dealing with large scale planning for commuter services in urban environments. Most do not directly relate to the District of Columbia, but may have had an impact in the later development of the Metro rail and bus system. Safety issues are also addressed in the development of such systems.

The series termed as Air Transportation reflects Ralph Rechel's early years with the Air Transportation Agency and also contains his Master's Thesis. Many issues of passenger and cargo air travel, as they developed in the formative years of the airline industry in the 1950's, are well-documented. Also included is the Railroad Transportation series which includes information on passenger and cargo travel over the nation's rail system. Additionally, there is a small amount of material on creating light rail commuting lines outside of immediate urban areas. Finally there is a series of documents relating to other forms of transportation, specifically those dealing with watercraft usage and shipping procedures.