Dear students, faculty and friends:
Please join us this Friday, November 4th, for our third CTL Distinguished Speaker Series event of the semester. Petra Todorovich, the director of America 2050, will be discussing international lessons for US Policy Makers on High Speed Rail.
Event details are below:
CTL Distinguished Speaker Series Featuring Petra Todorovich

Topic: High-Speed Rail - International Lessons for U.S. Policy Makers
Date: Friday, November 4, 2011

Location: W20-306, Twenty Chimneys
Stratton Student Center
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Time: 12:45 pm – Complimentary lunch
1:00 pm – Lecture begins

More information on the Speaker Series can be found at the CTL website: http://ctl.mit.edu/distinguished-speakers

We look forward to seeing you there!

Janet & Veronica

Abstract
High-speed rail has been adopted throughout the world, and is now being planned and developed in the United States. Over the past 50 years, U.S. transportation spending has heavily favored the development of interstate highway and aviation systems. In the meantime, countries such as China, Japan, Spain, France, and Germany have been investing in modern, high-speed rail systems to satisfy the travel demands of their current and future generations. As the United States embarks on the High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program launched in 2009, it can learn from the experiences of other countries in planning, constructing, and operating high-speed rail.
International case studies suggest that high-speed rail could create significant transportation, economic, environmental, and safety benefits in American cities and regions. While it requires high, upfront investment, high-speed rail promotes economic growth by improving access to markets, bringing the cities within megaregions closer together. This boosts the productivity of knowledge workers, expands labor markets, and attracts new tourism and visitor spending. When planned thoughtfully with complementary investments in the public realm, high-speed rail can promote urban regeneration and attract commercial development, as shown in several European examples. High-speed rail also has greater operating energy efficiency than competing modes and takes up less land than highways.
The lecture will describe several funding strategies that have proven to be successful in other countries, and makes specific policy recommendations to better position the federal high-speed rail program for success.
Download the full report (PDF) at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy website http://www.lincolninst.edu/pubs/1948_High-Speed-Rail

Or get your free copy at the lecture!

–
Veronica Hannan

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MCP/MST Dual Degree Candidate | 2013
e. vhannan@mit.edu | p. 504.912.6591