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TRAC 2007 Speakers


SPEAKERS & SPECIAL GUESTS

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Richard Phelps, Vice President of Transportation
Amtrak, Washington DC

Mr. Phelps will be joined by:

Jack Rich, Director of Product Management
Amtrak, Los Angles

Joe Yannuzzi, General Superinendent Southwest Division
Amtrak, Los Angeles

Mr. Phelps is visiting his former home of Southern California after his move earlier this year to Washington DC for his promotion to Vice President of Transportation for Amtrak.  He will give a "State of Amtrak" address and an overview of operating performance from a national to a California perspective.  He will address issues on all West Coast corridors and long-distance trains which traverse California, including the status of "simplified dining."  He will also discuss the challenge of future freight capacity needs and of partnering with Class I railroads and sharing corridors with other passenger and freight operations.  In keeping with our theme, Mr. Phelps will address ways to improve coordination between agencies in the region and along the LOSSAN corridor regarding scheduling, ticketing and transfers.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA RAIL TRANSIT FORUM


This forum will feature speakers from up and down the LOSSAN corridor and south state.  They will discuss operations and future plans for their individual operations.  We will encourage a creative discussion of ways to improve interline transfers, seamless ticketing between agencies, and coordinated scheduling.  Each agency will give a talk for this Forum, followed by a lively discussion spurred by questions from the audience which will include all Forum participants and our guests from Amtrak.

Patrick Merrill, Chief
Office of Capital Project Development, Operations and Marketing
Caltrans Division of Rail
Pacific Surfliner Operations and Future Plans

Wayne Penn, Manager of Rail Safety
North County Transit District
The Coaster:  Operations and Future Plans

Walt Stringer, Manager of Light Rail
North County Transit District
The new Sprinter Service

Gray Crary, Assistant Executive Officer, Operations and Engineering
Metrolink
Metrolink Operations & Future Plans

Jim Linthicum, Manager of Capital Projects
San Diego Association of Governments
The MidCoast LRT corridor, a proposed extension from Old Town to UCSD/University City
 

John Haggerty, Senior Engineer
San Diego Association of Governments
Rehabilitation planned for the Blue Line LRT; how to make upgrades while keeping a major rail line open.

SPECIAL GUEST

Josh Shaw, Executive Director

California Transit Association
We invited Mr. Shaw because his organization has taken on the admirable and monumental task of suing the State of California to reclaim a good portion of the $1.3 billion in transit funds which was illegally diverted to the general fund in the last budget process.  Josh will also speak on a proposed initiative that will protect all state transit funds from diversion, preventing the shell games which got around the intent of Prop. 1A by simply diverting funds not specifically protected.


OTHER FEATURE SPEAKERS


David Blue, Director of Marketing ­ Western Region
Cubic Transportation Systems

Automatic fare card technologies; seamless transfers between transportation agencies with one universal ticket; development of the new COMPASS card good on all San Diego Country transit systems.

John Hoegemeier, Consultant
SD Freight Rail Consulting
The history and the future of The Carrizo Gorge Desert Line ­ From California to Mexico and back again.

George Chilson, President
National Association of Railroad Passengers
Mr. Chilson, a San Diego resident, will give a presentation about the NARP Vision Plan for the future of passenger rail in the US.

The San Diego Electric Railway Association (SDERA)

A short introduction to the museum, its location and a brief description of logistics for our Sunday excursion on the Sprinter Line.

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