America 2050 is pleased to participate as a National Co-Host for the 5th Annual Transportation & Infrastructure Convention on March 7-9, 2012 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Please save the date for this three-day event that has attracted many prestigious registrants and speakers from 25 states, nine countries and over 30 national and international trade associations and interest groups.

The purpose of the Convention is to educate policy makers concerning the current transportation issues at both the local and national levels. The Convention is unique, in that, it brings together the leading transportation and infrastructure officials from the current Administration, Congress, and State legislatures, providing us the opportunity to dialogue personally with those who have a direct influence on future policy decisions of the nation.

Participating as a National Co-Host Organization allows members of America 2050 to register for the Convention at the discounted government rate! Online registration is available now! To register please go to www.transportationsummit.com.

America 2050 is excited to be a part of this event and strongly encourage members of the America 2050 network to attend this event in Washington, DC this March. For further information about the 5th Annual Transportation & Infrastructure Convention, please contact Karen Brown at 214-750-0123 or kbrown@dean.net.

America's transportation system is facing demolition by neglect. Calls to "do more with less" when the nation's infrastructure is crumbling ignore the needs of a system in rapid physical decline. Failure to reform the transportation system risks deepening U.S. dependence on oil and eroding global economic competitiveness. Is there a way to produce a long-term strategy that will simultaneously stabilize gas prices, finance America's transportation infrastructure, and decrease the deficit?

On November 1, Regional Plan Association and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace will host a breakfast forum at the Harvard Club to present Carnegie's new report, Road to Recovery: Transforming America's Transportation.

A panel including Senator Bill Bradley, NJ DOT Commissioner James Simpson, and former Chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Anthony Coscia will discuss the recommendations for reforming and funding the federal transportation program in the report. The report's findings will be presented by Shin-pei Tsay, Director, Cities and Transportation Initiative, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Limited spaces are still available for the event. To register, please email steven@rpa.org or call (212) 253-2727 by Oct 28.

On October 25^th, 2011 America 2050, Regional Plan Association, and the State of Connecticut Department of Transportation are co-sponsoring an event that will explore ways to leverage the recent investments in the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield rail project to spur development, job creation, and economic growth in the Knowledge Corridor region.

Connecticut is moving forward with plans to improve passenger rail service in the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield corridor in Central Connecticut and Western Massachusetts. These rail improvements will allow the frequency of passenger rail service in the corridor to increase to every half hour at peak times. Participants in the event will identify strategies that the region must implement in order to maximize the economic impact of this project.

The American High Speed Rail Alliance will be briefing members of Congress and the public on how jobs can be created through building passenger rail. The event, "Job Creation and U.S. Investment in High Speed & Intercity Passenger Rail," discuss not only construction jobs directly created by rail investment, but also how improved rail transportation can generate economic growth which leads to additional job creation. Planned in conjunction with the US Congressional Bicameral High Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail Caucus, the event will feature an informal lunch and is open to the public.

WHEN: Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011 at 11:30am - 1:00pm
WHERE: Capitol Visitors Center, Meeting Room South

More details are available at americanhsra.org.

Members of Congress will be attending a public briefing called "The Economic and Community Benefits of High-Speed and Intercity Passenger Rail" on Thursday, July 7^th. The briefing, sponsored by Reconnecting America, will feature a panel of experts, including Dan Schned, Associate Planner at America 2050, as well as John Robert Smith, President & CEO of Reconnecting America and Steve Geil, President & CEO of Fresno Economic Development Corporation.

Attendees, including members of the Congressional Bicameral High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Caucus, as well as interested members of the public, will hear how investments in passenger rail can spur economic development, revitalize cities, and drive job growth. Panelists will explore how rail projects generate economic benefits by creating jobs directly for the construction and operation of a rail line, and indirectly by stimulating new manufacturing industries, creating larger labor pools, and attracting new development around station areas. The American Public Transportation Association has reported that every $1 billion invested in high-speed and intercity passenger rail creates and supports 24,000 new American jobs (http://bit.ly/kakOdI).

The Congressional Bicameral High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Caucus hopes the event will inspire more legislators to join the Caucus, and support job growth and a competitive American economy by committing to a national passenger rail network. If you are in the area, feel free to attend! The briefing is being held in the United States Capitol Visitor Center, meeting room North, at 11:00am.

Visit the Congressional Bicameral High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Caucus' Facebook page

Last March, the Van Alen Institute issued a call for design ideas to envision the cultural, environmental, and economic impact of a new rail network on communities across the country. On June 24, ten winners were selected, with design ideas imagining trains doing everything from promoting physical fitness to regenerating wetlands and protecting water quality.

Check out all the winning entries and honorable mentions at the Winners Gallery.

America 2050's Petra Todorovich is on the Advisory Committee for the Life at the Speed of Rail Competition. The Committee will curate materials from the exhibit to create an image library as a resource to better illustrate infrastructure needs and possibilities. Ideas and proposals from the competition will be discussed and refined in a series of panel discussions throughout the summer.

June 24, 12:30pm - Washington, DC: BETTER TRANSPORTATION BY DESIGN at the National Building Museum

June 28, 7:00pm - St. Louis: LAYING TRACKS FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT at the Museum of Contemporary Art

July 7, 6:00pm - Houston: RED STATE RAIL at the Baker Institute

July 12, 4:00pm - Los Angeles: AFTER CAR CULTURE: DESIGNING THE NEW LA at Caltrans Headquarters

A Business Breakfast Forum

The Hartford Club
46 Prospect Street,
Hartford, Connecticut
Friday, June 3, 2011
8:00 - 10:00 a.m.

The New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Rail project will connect Hartford and Springfield to new business, educational, and cultural opportunities along the Knowledge Corridor, and in Southwestern Connecticut and New York City. What are these opportunities, and what should we do to maximize them? We'll hear from local business leaders as well as representatives from other successful rail corridors on how we can best leverage state and federal rail investments for economic growth.

Speakers:

• Bob Yaro, President, Regional Plan Association
  
• Patricia Quinn, Northern New England Rail Authority (Downeaster Service, Portland, ME/Boston, MA)
  
• Gene Skoropowski, HNTB (Capitol Corridor Service, Sacramento/San Jose, CA)
  
• Matthew Nemerson, Connecticut Technology Council
  
• Rob Little, Chief Investment Officer, Finance, Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers
  

There is no charge for attendance but registration is required at: http://bit.ly/knowledgecorridor.

Sponsored by:
America 2050 and Regional Plan Association, with support from the Rockefeller Foundation and Surdna Foundation.

Co-sponsored by:
Capitol Region Council of Governments and ULI Boston.

On Friday, April 15th, the 2011 Northern California MegaRegion Summit will convene public officials and private industry leaders from around the Northern California megaregion, as well as other national and international experts, to discuss the state of the region's export economy and identify opportunities to improve long-term global competitiveness. Why is the export marketplace important to the megaregion's economy? Is Northern California exporting knowledge-based exports or commodities? Does the megaregion have the transportation and other infrastructure required to take important products to market? These questions and more will be tackled by the expert speakers and panelists at this year's Northern California MegaRegion Summit, "Competing Globally, Succeeding Locally."