Virginia Light Rail Symposium

Friday, November 17, 2006

Science Museum of Virginia

Richmond

Richmond Friends of Rail Breakfast and keynote speaker, 7:30 a.m.–8:30 a.m.

Main symposium, 9:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m.

Accompanying displays will be on exhibit at the Science Museum through November 26, 2006.

Highlighting the five Virginia light rail or circulator streetcar projects in the study, planning, or implementation stages: Norfolk, Arlington-Fairfax, Richmond, Roanoke, and Charlottesville

The symposium is dedicated to educating Virginians about light rail transit’s role in shaping livable and economically vibrant communities

The forum’s purposes:

• Provide a forum for networking among Virginia communities undertaking or considering light rail transit, and for those interested in promoting such a system.
• Provide a vehicle to learn from the experiences in other communities; locally, nationally, and internationally
• Gain an understanding of the full range of benefits as well as the obstacles of creating a light rail transit system integrated with effective transit-oriented development.
• Provide a background in effective implementation strategies and funding mechanisms.
• Learn about the implications of local, state, and federal policies and the potential as well as limitations of federal and state support for support for transit and its implications for land use, particularly in light of the priority being given to transportation initiatives in the legislature.

Printable brochure and registration form (PDF)—requires free Acrobat Reader; approximate download time for the brochure via 56k modem: 4 minutes.

Prices

Rail breakfast only (continental breakfast buffet): $15

Main symposium event only(includes mid-morning break and sit-down lunch): $35

Whole day, breakfast and main event (includes continental breakfast, mid-morning break, and sit-down lunch): $45

Make checks payable to “VHSR-Light Rail Symposium” and mail your registration to Virginians for High Speed Rail, 5101 Monument Ave., Richmond, VA 23230

Registration deadline is November 14.

Register online

Principal coordinators

• Virginia Association of Railway Patrons
• Restore the Core Committee of the Virginia Sierra Club
• Richmond Friends of Rail

Agenda

7:30 a.m.–8:30 a.m.: Richmond Friends of Rail Breakfast

Welcome by local dignitaries

Keynote speaker, Gary Landrio, Vice President, Rail Operation, Stone Consulting & Design: “Oil or Not—Why Virginia Needs to Emphasize High-Capacity Transit”

9:00 a.m.–10:30a.m.: First session

Light Rail 101—What, Why, Who?

Best practices applications for light rail vs. rubber tire transit

Linking transit to land-use planning and economic development

Funding

Federal, state, and local (with option of private investment)

State and local (with option of private investment)

Local only (with option of private investment)

10:30 a.m.–10:45 a.m.: Break

10:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m.: Second Session

Using the “tool” of light rail to spur economic development and promote livable, walkable communities

Case studies: Portland, Charlotte

John Carroll, Carroll Investments, Portland, OR

John Muth, Charlotte Light Rail

12:30 p.m.–1:45 p.m.: Luncheon

Keynote speaker: Dr. Peter Newman, Director, Institute for Sustainability and Technology Policy, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia: “The Global Rail Revival”

2:00 p.m.–3:30 p.m.: Closing Session

Virginia’s Emerging Light Rail and Streetcar projects—overviews of each and questions and answers with panelists, relating these projects to the morning’s presentations:

Arlington-Fairfax: Hon. Chris Zimmerman, Arlington

Norfolk: Ray Amoruso, URS Corp.

Richmond: Greater Richmond Transit Company

Charlottesville: Todd Gordon, Okerlund Associates (tentative)

Roanoke: Hon. Beverly Fitzpatrick, Roanoke City Council

Adjourn

Symposium planning partners

Virginia Association of Railway Patrons

Sierra Club—Virginia Chapter

Science Museum of Virginia

Virginians for High Speed Rail

Virginia Transit Association

Richmond Friends of Rail

Okerlund Associates (Charlottesville)

Alliance for Community Choice in Transportation (Charlottesville)

Partnership for Smarter Growth (Richmond)

Hampton Roads Transit

Greater Richmond Transit Company

Greater Roanoke Transit Company–Valley Metro

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority

Richmond Dept. of Public Works

Richmond Dept. of Economic Development

Richmond Convention and Visitors Bureau

Venture Richmond

Richmond Transportation Advisory Board–Hon. Whitt Clement, chairman

Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce

Roanoke City Council–Hon. Beverly Fitzpatrick

Symposium sponsors

Symposium endorsers

William J. Pantele–Richmond City Council, 2nd district

Public Transit Alliance of Hampton Roads

Greater Richmond Partnership

Greater Norfolk Corporation

Arlington, Va.

Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission (Charlottesville)

Coalition for Smarter Growth

Southern Environmental Law Center

Virginia Department of Rail & Public Transportation

Directions

From outside Richmond, take I-95 or I-64 to Richmond.
Take Exit 78 toward the Boulevard. Go 0.2 miles.
Turn right onto North Boulevard (VA 161). Go 1.0 miles.
Turn left onto West Broad Street (U.S. 250–U.S. 33). Go 0.2 miles and look for the museum entrance on the left. Science Museum parking is free.

For further information

Michael Testerman
P.O. Box 867
Richmond, VA 23218-0867
(804) 649-1405, testertrain@erols.com