Monday, June 2, 2008

Opening General Session: Public Transportation: Wherever Life Takes You…Today and Tomorrow

President’s Welcome:

• William W. Millar, president, APTA

Presiding:

• Michael S. Townes, chair, APTA, and president /chief executive officer, Hampton Roads Transit, Hampton, VA

Greetings:

• Will Kempton, director-transportation, California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), Sacramento, CA (invited)
• Rev. Dr. James McCray Jr., chairman, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, San Francisco, CA
• Nathaniel P. Ford Sr., executive director/CEO, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, San Francisco, CA

Remarks:

David Solow, vice chair-commuter and intercity rail, APTA, and chief executive officer, Southern California Regional Rail Authority, Los Angeles, CA

Transitvision 2050 Help Shape the Vision!

See where public transportation is heading as population growth, climate change, rising energy costs and global competition place new demands on the industry. “What does the future hold-what changes should you anticipate? What role will public transportation play in the decades ahead?” Attendees are asked to bring their cell phones or pda’s to the session for interactive examples of where public transportation is heading.

General Luncheon: Positioning Rail in the World of Sustainability

Noted sustainability speakers will discuss the importance of developing and building sustainable transportation services, as well as how solid public transportation options will continue to be a key contributor to sustainable communities.

Presiding:

• Michael S. Townes, chair, APTA, and president/chief executive officer, Hampton Roads Transit, Hampton, VA

Speakers:

• Mayor Gavin Newsom, City and County of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA

• Mayor Mufi Hannemann, City and County of Honolulu, Honolulu, HI

• Hon. John D. Porcari, secretary, Maryland Department of Transportation, Hanover, MD

• Cathy Zoi, chief executive officer, The Alliance for Climate Protection, Palo Alto, CA

Alternative Methods for Financing and Project Delivery

Investigate alternative financing and project delivery mechanisms including public/private partnerships for when approved projects lack the local funds necessary to complete them.

Energy, Environment, and Transit

Discussions on energy saving technologies for rolling stock equipment and infrastructure including hybrid propulsion, advanced operating practices, energy saving vehicle design features, and the use of wind energy and other renewable resources will take center stage during this session.

The Role of Passenger Rail in Sustainable Development

Public transportation leaders discuss the role passenger rail plays in improving the environment and quality of life, learn what transit systems are doing both internally and externally to reduce their carbon footprints.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Rail Products and Services Showcase

Discover the rail industry’s latest technologies and products at the 2008 Products and Services showcase. Experts will demonstrate products and answer questions as you inspect the wide variety of rail equipment and services.

Interactive Presentations

Visit exhibitor tables outside the showcase to see unique presentations on a variety of relevant topics.

Rail: The Better Environmental Alternative

Generally accepted as an environmentally friendly alternative to driving. This session explores ways agencies can measure their environmental impacts, as well as how performance based systems and standards help meet community sustainability goals.

Technical Tours

These tours offer an inside peek into the ways public transportation agencies in the San Francisco area are tackling problems all agencies face.

Tours include:

• SFMTA SFgo Program

• BART Hayward Shop-Strategic Maintenance Program (SMP)

• BART Operations Control Center (OCC)

• Maintaining & Upgrading BART’s Automatic Fare Collection (AFC) Capabilities

• SFMTA Cable Car Barn

• SFMTA T-Third/ Muni Metro East/ Central Subway

• SFMTA Rail Accessibility Tour

• Transbay Joint Powers Authority Transbay Transit Center

• Caltrain Maintenance Facility & Baby Bullet Express

Energy, Environment, and Passenger Locomotives

Experts from transit and commuter rail systems, diesel engine manufacturers, and industry consultants look at EPA emissions standards for rail locomotives built after 2005 and overhauled after 2007, and how the new multi-tiered regulations further challenge manufacturers and agencies as they fully equip passenger fleets. The session also looks at the implications of the new EPA rule to reduce both NOx and particulates 90 percent by 2011, the future of hybrids in commuter applications, the effects of high sulfur-fuel, diesel oxidation catalysts, and engine calibration, as well as what research is needed to advance designs.

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

“It’s NEW!” Lessons Learned in Improving the Product

Representatives from all rail modes will participate in this information sharing session on how to improve product delivery. Get everything from lessons learned to examples of new technology and practices.

What’s on the Horizon for Rail?

This session focuses on the innovative strategies rail systems use in planning, project development, design and funding.

Integrating New Technology into Aging Infrastructure

Agencies strive to meet the demands of their riders by integrating new technology into their older systems. See first-hand examples of how these challenges are met and lessons learned.

Closing General Luncheon: Make No Small Plans: Perspectives on Transforming Transportation in the U.S.

Advancing rail service has a broad international scope. Industry leaders look to the best way to expand the network of transportation services, how to finance these expanded services, and what role the private sector plays. Professionals from across the globe will discuss changes already in progress, as well as the debates currently going on in California.

Presiding:

• Dorothy W. Dugger, general manager, San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District, Oakland, CA

Speakers:

• Rob Holden, chief executive, London & Continental Railways, London, United Kingdom

• Richard Katz, former chair, California General Assembly Transportation Committee, and board member, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Los Angeles, CA

• Ronald J. Hartman, executive vice president-rail, Veolia Transportation, Silver Spring, MD