Earlier this month America 2050 sponsored a two-day planning charrette in Portland, Oregon with stakeholders along the Pacific Northwest Rail Corridor - stretching from Vancouver, British Columbia to Eugene, Oregon to develop a vision for an integrated Cascadia megaregion enabled by high-speed rail.

Building on America 2050's research on Where High-Speed Rail Works Best the workshop sought to explore the economic, land use, urban design, and transportation strategies and investments necessary to fully leverage federal, state, provincial, and local investments in high-speed rail in this binational corridor. The workshop was an opportunity to broaden the focus of regional leaders on how high-speed rail can help advance larger goals for Cascadia as a more interconnected, sustainable, and prosperous megaregion.

To learn more, you can download the detailed briefing book of background information prepared for workshop participants. You can also access America 2050's original map of the Cascadia megaregion prepared for the workshop, which synthesizes transportation, land use, and the regional planning strategies of the entire megaregion on the America 2050 Maps Page (scroll to the bottom of the page.) A summary of workshop proceedings and next steps will be posted here soon.

Petra Todorovich - America 2050 from Steven Skemp on Vimeo.

View America 2050 Director Petra Todorovich's recent presentation on the benefits of high-speed rail to regional economies and where high-speed rail works best. The presentation was given at the conference of the U.S. High-Speed Rail Association in Hollywood, California on June 17, 2010.

 

When we were in L.A. last week at the U.S. High Speed Rail Association Conference, we met Ashley and Gunnar Hand and Gerhard Mayer of Rail L.A. Rail L.A. was recently founded by members of the L.A. chapters of the American Institute of Architects and the American Planning Association. These design professionals are concerned about how high-speed rail could be a catalyst for better urban design and transit-oriented development in Los Angeles. They've issued a call for ideas for high-speed rail stations, videos, and design to populate a traveling design exhibit about high-speed rail in the coming year. Check out their website and submit your idea.

The Federal Railroad Administration is currently preparing a long term national rail plan due to congress this October. As part of this process they are accepting comments in the Preliminary Rail Plan published last year.

Such a plan is needed to establish U.S. policy for passenger and freight rail investment and provide clarity to states and regions about the federal government's role in passenger and freight rail investment.

Read America 2050's comments on the preliminary rail plan and recommendations on the long range national rail plan. Download the data appendix.

Last month, eleven northeastern states and Amtrak submitted a planning proposal to the Federal Railroad Administration.  The proposal seeks federal funding for an $18.8 million four-phased planning study.

The study will explore investments needed to meet travel demand in the Northeast Corridor, including both incremental improvements and investments in dedicated tracks for true high-speed service. This proposal, the result of collaboration among 11 states and Amtrak to plan for the future of the  nation's most congested intercity and commuter rail corridor, represents an historic collaboration and a necessary step to bring the Northeast's rail infrastructure into the 21st century.

The proposal strikes a needed balance between short term necessity and ambitious long term planning, and is worthy of support by anyone who cares about rail service in the Northeast. A decision by the FRA about whether to fund this three-year planning process is expect by the middle of July.

The complete proposal can be found here: www.njtransit.com/highspeedNEC

America 2050 will join the U.S. High Speed Rail Association at its conference June 17-18 at Hilton Universal City, in Los Angeles, California.

Click here for more information on speakers and the agenda and here to register.