"If we are to continue economic development and prosperity, we will need to greatly reduce our daily oil consumption, and high-speed rail is the only possible solution that can scale up to meet the growing demand of American mobility while greatly reducing our oil consumption." -USHSR President Andy Kunz onCNN
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is a big supporter of high speed rail, having recently visited leading high speed rail systems around the world. Convinced of the great value high speed rail will deliver for America, Secretary LaHood works tirelessly to promote and advance the new high speed rail program across the country in an effort to create American jobs, revitalize the manufacturing sector, and stimulate the overall economy of the United States.
In nominating LaHood, President-elect Obama said, "Few understand our infrastructure challenge better than the outstanding public servant that I'm asking to lead the Department of Transportation."
Secretary LaHood's primary goals in implementing President Obama's priorities for transportation include safety across all modes, restoring economic health and creating jobs, sustainability - shaping the economy of the coming decades by building new transportation infrastructure, and assuring that transportation policies focus on people who use the transportation system and their communities.
As Secretary of Transportation, LaHood leads an agency with more than 55,000 employees and a $70 billion budget that oversees air, maritime and surface transportation missions. LaHood is one of two Republican members of the Obama Cabinet. Check out Secretary LaHood's transportation blog.
Karen Rae, Deputy Administrator - Federal Railroad Administration
In March 2009, the Obama Administration named Karen Rae Deputy Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). As Deputy Administrator, Ms. Rae is responsible for helping oversee operations for the nearly eight hundred-person organization. This includes managing comprehensive safety programs and regulatory initiatives; enforcement of FRA safety regulations; development and implementation of national freight and passenger rail policy; and oversight of wide ranging research and development activities in support of improved railroad safety.
In her capacity as Deputy Administrator, Ms. Rae is playing a leading role in the FRA's efforts to successfully implement the President's historic commitment to advance the development of high-speed rail and implement the Administration's public policy directive to improve intercity passenger rail for users and communities across the US.
Karen Rae
David Paterson, New York Governor
New York Governor David Paterson has been a big rail supporter for many years. He became New York's 55th Governor on March 17, 2008.
Prior to becoming Governor, he was elected to represent Harlem in the New York State Senate, becoming the youngest Senator in Albany at the time. In 2003, he became the first non-white legislative leader in New York's history when he was elevated to Minority Leader of the Senate.
Governor David Paterson
Ed Rendell, PennsylvaniaGovernor
Ed Rendell is Governor of Pennsylvania and Co-Chair, Building America's Future. He has been called the "hardest working man in infrastructure", and is a huge supporter of a national high speed rail system for America.
Governor Rendell has been a tireless advocate of an infrastructure-driven recovery within the National Governors Association, and through his work in Building America's Future with his co-chairs Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. They have been advocating for a national infrastructure bank to help fund needed infrastructure across America.
Governor Ed Rendell
Norman Mineta, Former Secretary of Transportation
Secretary Norman Mineta is vice chairman of Hill & Knowlton, the nation's oldest and largest PR firm. He is recognized for his accomplishments in transportation, economic development, science and technology policy, foreign and domestic trade, the environment, budgetary issues and civil rights. Secretary Mineta served in Congress for over twenty years and in the Cabinets of both Republican and Democratic presidents.
For almost thirty years, Mineta represented San Jose, California, first on the City Council, then as Mayor, and then from 1975 to 1995 as a Member of Congress. Secretary Mineta was appointed the United States Secretary of Transportation in 2001, where he served until he joined Hill & Knowlton in July, 2006.
Former U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta
U.S. Congresswoman Louise Slaughter
Congresswoman Louise McIntosh Slaughter is a big supporter of high speed rail and is one of the most powerful and unique figures in the House of Representatives. She is the first woman to serve as Chairman of the influential House Committee on Rules, a position that allows her to influence nearly every single piece of legislation that comes to the House floor for a vote. She has held that position since 2007.
Slaughter is also a member of the House Democratic Leadership and serves on the prestigious Democratic Steering & Policy Committee, which helps determine committee assignments. She is also the Democratic Chair of two congressional caucuses: the Congressional Arts Caucus and the Bipartisan Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus, of which she was a founding member.
Congresswoman Louise Slaughter
Bill Millar, President American Public Transportation Association
Bill Millar has been president of APTA since 1996, and has worked tirelessly to expand APTA's reach and effectiveness, guiding it to legislative victories and dramatically increasing federal investment in public transportation. Prior to APTA, Bill served 19 years at the Port Authority of Allegheny County, the principal transit operator serving Pittsburgh, PA.
As its executive director from 1983-1996, he oversaw the development and operation of bus, busway, light rail, paratransit and inclined plane service. In 1987 he received APTA's Jesse Haugh Award for Transit Manager of the Year. He is founder of Pittsburgh's award-winning ACCESS paratransit service.
Bill Millar, APTA President
U.S. Congressman John Mica (Invited)
A long time supporter of high speed rail, Congressman John Mica is the Republican leader of the largest committee in Congress - Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Currently serving his ninth term representing Florida's 7th Congressional District, Mica helps oversee federal policy issues relating to all forms of transportation. As the Transportation Committee's top Republican, Mica was responsible for legislation in 2008 authorizing for the first time, private sector participation in the development of high-speed rail. He has strongly advocated for cutting red tape to expedite the lengthy federal transportation infrastructure project approval process, and called for the development of a comprehensive and national strategic transportation plan.
Congressman John Mica
Al Engel, new Amtrak HSR Director; outgoing AECOM VP
Al Engel is currently vice president and high speed rail director with engineering giant AECOM. He will soon be transitioning to Amtrak to head up a new high speed rail department. In this new role Mr. Engel will be working to develop high speed rail corridors around the country.
Mr. Engel has been a longtime proponent of high speed rail and other forms of transit. He is a professional engineer with considerable experience in rail planning and design. Prior to joining AECOM, he was chief executive officer of Systra Consulting Inc., a transit-consulting firm partly owned by SNCF, the French national railway.
Al Engel
Jeff Speck, Author Suburban Nation, Past Design Director NEA; DPZ
Jeff Speck is a city planner and urban designer who, through writing, lectures, public service, and built work, advocates internationally for smart growth and sustainable design. He currently leads a private consultancy offering design and advisory services to public officials and the real estate industry. He is a contributing editor to Metropolis magazine, and serves on the Sustainability Task Force of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Mr. Speck is well known in design circles having led the premier New Urbanism and city planning firm of Duany Plater-Zyberk (DPZ) for more than 10 years. Following that post, he was appointed Director of Design at the National Endowment of the Arts where he oversaw the Mayors' Institute on City Design, and initiated and ran the Governors' Institute on Community Design.
He co-authored The Smart Growth Manual, and the best-selling planning book Suburban Nation with Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, the leaders of the New Urbanism movement. The Wall Street Journal called Suburban Nation "the urbanist bible".
"A book of luminous intelligence and wit. This is not just a manifesto on architecture and civic design but a major literary event." -James Howard Kunstler, author of The Geography of Nowhere
"This book packs a powerful punch. Suburban Nation draws attention to the need to radically re-think the way our cities grow - both in our inner cities and on the urban edge." -Andrew Cuomo
Jeff Speck
"The Rise of Sprawl and the Decline of the American Dream"
New York Senator Malcolm Smith
John Parisella, Quebec's Delegate General
Jack Kinstlinger, Chairman Emeritus, KCI Technologies; ARTBA HSR
Richard Lawless, President & CEO, U.S.-Japan High-Speed Rail
Howard Permut, President MTA Metro-North Railroad
Stanley Gee, New York State Transportation Commissioner
Chuck Wochele, VP Industry and Gov't. Relations - Alstom
David Carol, Director High Speed Rail - Parsons Brinckerhoff
Antonio Perez, CEO - Talgo America, Spain
Joseph Borremans, Senior International Project Manager (HSR) - Tuc Rail, Belgium
Torkel Patterson, Senior Advisor to U.S.-Japan High-Speed Rail
Tim Smart, Director Engineering & Assets - High Speed 1, London
Lan Mond, International Business Mgr. - NDF Rail, China
Petra Todorovich, Director - America 2050
Huw Thomas, Partner - Foster+Partners Architects, London
Jim Steer, Director & Founder - Steer, Davies, Gleave, UK
Katherine Perez, Executive Director - Urban Land Institute, Los Angeles
Arnold Gibbs, Vice President & Principal - Terracon, Orlando
Dwayne Sampson, Past President - COMTO NY
Jack Pokrzywa, Director - Ground Vehicle Standards, SAE International
Phineas Baxandall, Senior Analyst - USPIRG
Stuart Sirota, Partner, TND Planning Group
Kristopher Takacs, AIA, Assoc. Director Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
William Schroeer, State Policy Director - Smart Growth America
Josep-Maria Ribes, President and CEO - Ardanuy Ingenieria S.A., Spain
Cecilia Ribalaygua, Apia xxi; Universidad de Cantabria, Spain
More speakers are being added each week
Previous conference attendees include executives from:
Balfour Beatty AECOM Parsons Brinckerhoff KCI Technologies Bechtel Flour U.S.-Japan High Speed Rail Central Japan Railway Japan Int'l Transport Institute CRCC (China) TSDI (China) CSR (China) NDF (China) Korail TUC Rail Alstom Siemens Talgo Bombardier Hyundai Rotem Renfe
Foster + Partners Architects HOK Dover Kohl Urban Land Institute Autodesk Bentley Systems Terracon Systra Ardanuy ARTBA SMI International First Southwest Investment Bank Hill & Knowlton Global-5 Communications Arcadis Shaw Group Faithful+Gould CA. HSR Authority CA DOT CalPirg Amtrak
DLA Piper Holland & Knight Manatt Parker Poe Lockheed Martin Raytheon Northrop Grumman Alion Science & Tech. BAE Systems Invensys Rail Sumitomo Finley Engineering Mc Dean Archer Western Pandrol Liebherr NKT Cables Southwire Fooke Wilbur Smith
Don't miss this exciting high speed rail event of the year - High Speed Rail 2010! The Big Apple is the place to be November 14-16.
Business and political leaders will come together with the world's top experts to bring high speed rail to America.
USHSR Northeast HSR Map
Hgh Speed 1 - UK. London to Paris in 2hrs 15
US DOT Secretary Ray LaHood Big plans for US High Speed Rail:
"New high-speed trains will link 80 percent of Americans within 25 years, at a cost of about $500 billion" -8/12/10
Click for animation
States Respond Overwhelmingly to Additional HSR Funding Federal Railroad Administration Receives 77 Applications
The Federal Railroad Administration has received 77 applications from 25 states recently totaling more than $8.5 billion. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood said "We have received strong bi-partisan support for President Obama's bold initiative that will enhance regional mobility, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, ease highway and airport congestion and reduce our carbon footprint." Story
US HSRABOUT USUS HSR MAPBENEFITSTRAINSINFRASTRUCTURENEWSVIDEOSJOBSSUSTAINABILITY --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- US High Speed Rail Association Capitol Hill Office at Union Station 10 G Street NE, Suite 710 Washington, DC 20002 (202) 248-5001
