July 12, 2023

Join Us Next Week to Discuss Restoring Passenger Rail Service in the Greater Northwest

Greater Northwest Passenger Rail Summit

The 2nd Annual Greater Northwest Passenger Rail Summit will take place in Boise, ID on Wednesday, July 19th and Thursday, July 20th, 2023. An outstanding group of professionals and elected officials will speak, including:

  • Cecilia Arritola, U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of the Secretary, Grants Management Specialist
  • Angela Caddell, BNSF Railway, GVP Agricultural Products
  • Elaine Clegg, Valley Regional Transit, Executive Director
  • Dr. Santiago Cruz-Roveda, Federal Railroad Administration, Regional Outreach – Supervisor Project Sponsor Outreach
  • Catherine Dobbs, HDR, Senior Environmental Project Manager
  • Rep. Jake Fey, Representative, Washington State Legislature
  • Peter Friedman, Agriculture Transportation Coalition, Executive Director
  • Stephen Gardner, Amtrak, Chief Executive Officer
  • Rebecca Geyer, North Dakota Department of Transportation, Planning & Rail Manager
  • Adrian Guerrero, Union Pacific, AVP Public Affairs - West
  • Karen Hedlund, Surface Transportation Board, Vice Chair
  • Alex Herrgott, The Permitting Institute, Executive Director
  • Andrew Johnsen, Columbia Strategic Consulting Group, CEO
  • Laura Kliewer, Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission, Director
  • Dan Logsdon, National Center for Interstate Compacts, Director
  • Rep. Dustin Manwaring, Representative, Idaho House of Representatives
  • Stewart Muir, Resource Works, Chief Executive Officer
  • Rob Padgette, Managing Director, Capitol Corridor Authority
  • Carl Ringgold, Build America Bureau, U.S. Department of Transportation, Program Development Lead
  • Jeff Schultz, David Evans & Associates, Senior Transit and Rail Planner
  • Rich Scott, BNSF Railway, Assistant Director Public Projects
  • John Robert Smith, Transportation for America, Chairman
  • Dave Strohmaier, Missoula County, Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority, Commissioner
  • Sarah Williams, USDOT Build America Bureau, Project Development Lead

See the Agenda on the Summit website for the latest information.

Register today at https://gnwprs.org/ 

2023 Train Trek 

Passenger rail advocacy groups All Aboard Northwest (AANW) and The Association of Oregon Rail and Transit Advocates are bringing our 2023 Train Trek to Weiser, Idaho, and Ontario, Baker City, and Hood River, Oregon on Friday, July 21 through Sunday, July 23.

There are unprecedented funds available for transportation improvements under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). AANW, in cooperation with The Association of Oregon Rail and Transit Advocates (AORTA) and All Aboard Washington (AAWA) is working to spread the word, because a safe, robust, seamless transportation system will bring significant economic, environmental and equity benefits to communities of all sizes.

The Federal Railroad Administration is currently conducting a Daily Long-Distance Service Study to evaluate the feasibility of restoring this and other services.

During the 2023 Train Trek, AANW. AAWA and AORTA will share the latest news on potential service restoration. They will discuss how expanded passenger rail service can bring significant economic, equity, and environmental benefits to the communities it serves. They will focus on collecting feedback from citizens, community leaders, and elected officials about their transportation needs.

AANW's vision is for seamless multimodal transportation connectivity for the Greater Northwest Region of the United States focused around a robust passenger rail system core. Improved door-to-door connectivity between sidewalks, local public transit, and intercity rail provides economic, environmental, and equity benefits to all, including low-income, tribal, disability, and rural communities; locations where transportation alternatives are limited; and the nearly 30 percent of the population that does not drive.

Weiser, Idaho

Friday, July 21
1:00 pm MT
Weiser Train Depot
1 State Street
Weiser, ID 83672
Register at https://allaboardnw.org/events/train-trek-weiser/ 

Ontario, Oregon

Saturday, July 22
10:00 am MT (updated time)
Ontario Community Library
388 S.W. 2nd Avenue
Ontario, OR 97914
Register at https://allaboardnw.org/events/train-trek-ontario/ 

Baker City, Oregon

Saturday, July 22
4:00 pm PT
Carnegie Crossroads Art Center
2020 Auburn Ave
Baker City, OR 97814
Register at https://allaboardnw.org/events/train-trek-baker-city/ 

Hood River, Oregon

Sunday, July 23
1:00 pm PT
Hood River Library
502 State Street
Hood River, OR 97031
Register at https://allaboardnw.org/events/train-trek-hood-river/
 

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