New England Regional Conference, April 29.
Join us at the “Who’s Looking Out for You? The State of Rail Advocacy in New England” Conference in Boston, Friday, April 29, 2016.
This exciting meeting is taking place Friday, April 29, 2016 from 9:00 to 4:30 p.m. free of charge, at the Boston Foundation, 75 Arlington Street-10fl. (Green Line-Arlington station, Orange Line-Back Bay station)
Conference Program (subject to change)
9:00-9:10 Continental Breakfast
9:10-9:25 Opening Remarks: Richard Rudolph, Ph.D, Chairman, Rail Users’ Network
Noah S. Berger, Visiting Fellow & Special Advisor for Transportation, Boston Foundation; Director of Planning& Program Development, Region 1 Office, Federal Transit Administration
9:25-10:00 Frank DePaola, General Manager, MBTA
10:00-10:35 Gerald Francis, General Manager, Keolis Commuter Services
10:35-10:45 Break
10:45-11:20 Astrid Glynn, Rail and Transit Administrator, Mass. Department of Transportation
11:20-11:55 Rina Cutler, Amtrak’s Senior Director for Major Station
Planning & Development
11:55-12:55 Lunch
Luncheon Speaker: Maggie Super Church, Conservation
Law Foundation and Mass. Housing effort to promote TOD, equity, and good health
12:55-1:55 Status of Passenger Rail/Rail Transit Advocacy in New England/Plans for Expanding Passenger Rail in New England
Richard Rudolph, Ph.D, Moderator. Panelists include Timothy Brennan, Executive Director, Pionner
Valley Planning Commission; Michael Izbicki, Executive Director, New Hampshire Rail Transit
Authority; Stephen Smith, former Executive Director,
Southeastern Regional Planning & Economic Development Commission; and Jack Sutton, former President and Board Member, Maine Rail Group
1:55-2:55 Current State of Rail Advocacy in the Greater Boston area, who the major players are, the impact they are having on the MBTA and transit service, and what can be done to insure greater rider representation to improve and expand service
Andrew Albert, RUN’s Vice Chair and Chairman, New York City Transit Riders Council, Moderator.
Panelists include Mela Bush-Miles, Lead Community Organizer, Greater 4 Corners Action Coalition; Kristina Egan, Director, Transportation for Massachusetts; Ellin Reisner, Somerville Transportation Equity Alliance; and Allentza Michel, Principal, Powerful Pathways Consulting-Policy, Planning & Design
2:55-3:05 Refreshment Break
3:05-4:05 “The Great Missed Opportunity – the North/South Rail
LInk.” Why the “Big Dig” was a highway-only project and efforts underway to correct it
David Peter Alan, Esq., RUN Board Member and Chairman, Lackawanna Coalition, Moderator.
Panelists include former Governor Michael Dukakis; Brad Bellows, Cambridge architect; and Peter Zuk, Zuk International LLC
4:05-4:10 Optional Inspection Tour on Saturday, April 30
4:10-4:20 Closing Remarks
Gary Prophet, RUN Treasurer, and Vice President,
Empire State Passenger Rail Association
Attendees will also have an opportunity to sample public transportation in the Boston area, with an optional inspection tour on Saturday, April 30th. We will ride a number of transit modes running in and near Boston, inspect some of the transit facilities that provide mobility for hundreds of thousands of Bostonians, and take a close look at how neighborhoods and their residents are benefitting from the opportunity to get around Boston and go to other nearby towns on transit.
Who should attend: civic, business and non-profit leaders; real estate developers, planners and environmentalists; rail advocates; and intercity rail and rail transit riders who want to know about the efforts underway to expand passenger rail & rail transit in New England, how to give riders a greater voice in planning new services, as well as improving the quality and level of services currently provided.
Thanks to the generous support of our sponsors, the Rail Users’ Network is pleased to offer this exciting Conference at no charge. However, advance registration is required and must be received by April 19, 2016.
Please join us at what promises to be a very exciting & worthwhile event. Participants can register on RUN’s website: railusers.net or via regular mail to RUN, Box 8015, Portland, ME 04104