California High-Speed Rail Could Replace SFO-LAX Flights

California High-Speed Rail Could Replace SFO-LAX Flights
Commonwealth Club - 4th Street Summit Center
Everyone aboard for high-speed rail in California, or is this a project that may have a hard time getting out of the station? Hear from the recently named CEO of the California High-Speed Rail Authority about the transportation system that could radically change the way we travel. Van Ark discusses how the project will be moving forward and the benefits that the state can expect as the project rolls out. He also gives his view on specific benefits to the Bay Area region related to connectivity, mobility, environment and the economy.The Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) was established by Congress in 1991 as part of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) and was reauthorized under TEA-21 and again under SAFETEA-LU. The institute is funded by Congress through the US Department of Transportation's (DOT) Research and Innovative Technology Administration, by the California Legislature through the Department of Transportation (Caltrans), and by other public and private grants and donations, including grants from the US Department of Homeland Security. DOT selected MTI as a National Center of Excellence following competitions in 2002 and 2006. The internationally respected members of the MTI Board of Trustees represent all major surface transportation modes. MTI's focus on policy and management resulted from the Board's assessment of the transportation industry's unmet needs. That led directly to choosing the San José State University College of Business as the Institute's home. MTI conducts research, education, and information and technology transfer, focusing on multimodal surface transportation policy and management issues.Visit www.transweb.sjsu.edu