2022 Greater Northwest Pasenger Rail Summit

The Greater Northwest Passenger Rail Summit brought passenger railroad organizations, advocates, and enthusiasts together with local, state, and federal elected officials and policymakers, host railroads, and rail infrastructure experts to educate, innovate and coordinate for the restoration, expansion, and enhancement of passenger rail service across the Greater Northwest. The passage in late 2021 of the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) has created the best opportunity in decades to expand and improve passenger rail access, and no region of the country is in more need of that expansion and improvement than the Greater Northwest. Now is the time for rail advocates and policymakers from across the region to start coordinating to ensure the “second rail revolution” doesn’t pass us by.

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  • Opening Remarks
    • 8/22/22

    Opening Remarks

    Official Welcome the to the Greater Northwest Passenger Rail Summit

    Dave Strohmaier, Bill Cole, Norma Gourneau, Amit Bose

  • Session 1 FRA Presentation
    • 8/22/22

    Session 1 FRA Presentation

    Session 1: FRA presentation

    Lyle Leitelt, Katie List

  • Session 2 Transportation Equity
    • 8/22/22

    Session 2 Transportation Equity

    Video - North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum

    Moderator: Dan Bucks

    Panelists:

    Jim Mathews, Rail Passengers Association (RPA)

    Meredith Richards, Virginia Rail Policy Institute, Virginians for High-Speed Rail and RPA

    John Robert Smith, Transportation for America

    Anna Zivarts (remote), Disability Mobility Initiative

  • Session 3 Quality of Life Impacts & Benefits
    • 8/22/22

    Session 3 Quality of Life Impacts & Benefits

    Quality of Life impacts/benefits

    Moderator: Gary Wirt

    Tyler Amundson, Big Sky Senior Services, Billings, MT

    Nate Kavanagh, Cut Bank, MT Chamber of Commerce (remote)

    Phil Rico, Mayor of Trinidad, CO

    Hal Gard, Jacobs

    Breck Lebegue, WA Physicians for Social Responsibility (remote)

  • Session 4 Tribal Impacts & Benefits
    • 8/22/22

    Session 4 Tribal Impacts & Benefits

    Tribal Impacts & Benefits

    Moderator: Martin Charlo, CSKT

    Arlando Teller, USDOT (remote)

    Milo Booth, USDOT

    Darrel Hernandez, Oglala Sioux Tribe

    HollyAnna Littlebull, Yakama Nation (remote)

    Dana Miller, Yakama Nation (remote)

  • Session 5 Economic Impacts & Benefits
    • 8/22/22

    Session 5 Economic Impacts & Benefits

    Economic impacts/benefits

    Moderator: Juan Escano

    Thomas Freyer, Alberta Regional Rail

    Jim Mathews, RPA

    Bruce Agnew, PNWER

    Laura Shabe, Jacobs

    Spencer Dodge, HDR

  • Greater Northwest Passenger Rail Summit Breakout Session #2 Other Future Routes
    • 8/23/22

    Greater Northwest Passenger Rail Summit Breakout Session #2 Other Future Routes

    Mark Quam, Scott Rogers (remote), Dan Bilka, Mike Christensen

    Breakout #1 (Hart Albin): Existing Service – Protect, Enhance, Improve

    Breakout #2 (Main Stage): Other Future Routes

    The Pioneer and North Coast routes are not the end, only the beginning. These breakout sessions will focus on what people and communities can do to preserve, enhance, and grow the existing services (Empire Builder, California Zephyr, etc) and outline what the real needs are in our region for true connectivity; a true national passenger rail network.

  • Session 6 22214 Study Routes 1
    • 8/23/22

    Session 6 22214 Study Routes 1

    22214 Study Routes

    Dave Strohmaier, Elaine Clegg

    North Coast Limited/Hiawatha Route, Pioneer Route and Other Routes

  • Session 7 Environmental Benefits
    • 8/23/22

    Session 7 Environmental Benefits

    Environmental Benefits

    Moderator: Charles Hamilton, All Aboard Northwest

    Tim Gould (remote) Sierra Club of Washington

    Dava Kaitala, Jacobs

    Spencer Dodge, HDR

    Abe Zumwalt, David L. Evans Associates

  • Session 8 Host Railroad Collaboration
    • 8/23/22

    Session 8 Host Railroad Collaboration

    Moderator: Barry Green

    Jim Tylick, BNSF

    Andy Garland, Montana Rail Link

    Dava Kaitala, Jacobs

    Spencer Dodge, HDR

    Bruce Agnew, PNWER

    Andrew Johnsen, Columbia Strategic Consulting Group

  • Summit Day Two Lunch Alexander Kamyshin, CEO of Ukrainian Railways, video from Rep. Peter DeFazio
    • 8/23/22

    Summit Day Two Lunch Alexander Kamyshin, CEO of Ukrainian Railways, video from Rep. Peter DeFazio

    Alexander Kamyshin CEO of Ukrainian Railways moves and inspires the Greater Northwest Passenger Rail Summit attendees.
  • Session 9 Passenger Rail Freight Rail Synchronicity
    • 8/23/22

    Session 9 Passenger Rail Freight Rail Synchronicity

    Passenger Rail/Freight Rail Synchronicity

    Moderator: Dan Bilka, All Aboard Northwest

    Meredith Richards, RPA

    Dava Kaitala, Jacobs

    Cat Dobbs, HDR

    Rick Harnish, High-Speed Rail Alliance

  • Session 10 IIJA Analysis and Opportunities
    • 8/23/22

    Session 10 IIJA Analysis and Opportunities

    IIJA Analysis and Opportunities

    Moderator: Sean Jeans-Gail, RPA

    Leo Wetula, Build America Bureau

    Andrew Johnsen, PNWER

    Laura Shabe, Jacobs

    Alexander Khalfin, Amtrak

    Deborah Kobrin, FRA

  • Session 11 Political Legal Process of Rail Route Restora
    • 8/23/22

    Session 11 Political Legal Process of Rail Route Restora

    Political/Legal Process of Rail Route Restoration

    Moderator: Margie MacDonald, Retired MT State Senator, Billings

    Karen Hedlund, US Surface Transportation Board

    Sen. Chris Gorsek, Oregon Senate Rail Caucus (remote)

    Peter Fletcher, Executive Director, La Crosse Area Planning Committee (remote)

    Scott Rogers, Vice President, Governmental Affairs, Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce (remote)

    Jim Mathews, RPA

TOGETHER

WE CAN DO THIS!

If you would like to access the presentations contained in these sessions please download here.