Bringing World-Class High-Speed Rail to America: Special General Session, 12th Annual Transportation and Infrastructure Summit, MTI S-09-04

The 12th Annual Transportation & Infrastructure Summit, held in Irving, Texas on August 11?14, 2009, provided more than 1,100 attendees from 30 states and 13 countries the opportunity to network and interact with elected representatives and influential transportation officials from the United States, and to learn about transportation systems on a global scale. The special session, Bringing World-Class High-Speed Rail to America, featured representatives from three proposed regional high-speed rail projects currently planned for the United States. Majority Whip of the California State Assembly Fiona Ma shared information about California´s High-Speed Rail Initiative. Assemblywoman Ma talked about her experience on France´s record-breaking TGV train and her vision for bringing a similar system to California. Rick Harnish, executive director for the Midwest High-Speed Rail Association discussed how regional initiatives were working toward improving current Midwestern rail corridors and upgrading to high-speed levels to increase mobility. Robert Eckels, chair of the Texas High-Speed Rail and Transportation Corporation, shared his organization´s vision and details of Texas´ T-Bone high-speed rail project

Rail Security: Critical Insights and Applications

The Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) presented a workshop at the request of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Committee. The half-day discussion was offered on a timely, relevant, and critical topic, given the revelations that Osama bin Laden and al Qaida may have been planning rail attacks in the United States. While these plans were not well developed, it did underscore that terrorists do plan to expand their attacks beyond Europe and Asia. MTI presented the forum because it strongly believes that passenger rail security must be given much greater attention, especially because of the open nature of the mode and the millions of people who travel by rail each day, whether on intercity rail, subways, light rail, or commuter rail. The panel addressed the areas of primary concern and vulnerability

Rail Passenger Selective Screening Summit, MTI S-09-01

This publication is an edited transcript of the Rail Passenger Selective Screening Summit, which was co-sponsored by MTI and the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) in Chicago, Illinois on June 18, 2009, during APTA´s annual Rail Conference. The workshop was moderated by Brian Michael Jenkins, director, Mineta Transportation Institute\u27s National Transportation Security Center of Excellence (NTSCOE). Speakers included Bruce R. Butterworth, co-author, Selective Screening of Rail Passengers; Greg Hull, president, American Public Transportation Association (APTA); Paul MacMillan, chief of police, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Transit Police Department; Ron Masciana, deputy chief, Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), New York; Jesus Ojeda, security coordinator, Southern California Regional Rail Authority; Ed Phillips, operations deputy, Office of Security, Amtrak; and John P. Sammon, assistant administrator, Transportation Sector Network Management, Transportation Security Administration (TSA

National Transportation Security Summit, MTI Report S-01-02

This publication is transcript of an event that was held on October 30, 2001. The Mineta Transportation Institute brought together several agency representatives from transportation and labor-related agencies from across the United States to discuss security concerns related to the surface transportation industry. The keynote speaker for the event was Secretary Norman Y. Mineta, and serving as moderators were Rod Diridon, Executive Director of MTI, and Ellen Engelman from the U.S Department of Transportation’s Research and Special Programs Administration. Welcomers included Jeff Morales, Director of Caltrans; Pete Cipolla, General Manager, Valley Transportation Authority; and John Horsley, Executive Director, AASHTO. Panelists were Brian Jenkins, MTI Counter Terrorism Research Team Leader, Dr. Larry Gerston and Dr. Frances Edwards-Winslow. Afternoon panelists were Mortimer Downey, Consultant, PV Consult; Sherrie Anderson, Program Manager, Land Transportation Security U.S DOT; Robert Prince, Jr., General Manager, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority; Steve Vaughn, Assistant Chief, California Highway Patrol; and Dr. Christine Johnson, Program Manager, Operations Core Business Unit, FHWA

Turning Over a New Leaf: The start of an electric vehicle revolution, Symposium Report S-09-08

Environmental legislation and public interest in reducing automobile emissions have generated increased efforts to develop and market electrically powered vehicles. But long-distance driving and limited infrastructure for recharging pose serious challenges. What is the industry doing to overcome these limitations? Are electric vehicles a viable solution? On May 18, 2010, the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI), along with the the U.S. Department of Transportation, Caltrans, and other sponsors and co-sponsors, hosted a panel of experts to address the environmental impact, engineering, and market acceptance of electric vehicles, and the infrastructure needed to keep them viable. Discussion centered around the need for additional infrastructure, consumer requirements, costs, and environmental sustainability

Terrorism in Surface Transportation - A, IISTPS Report 96-1

This document is a transcript of a symposium held on March 15, 1996 as part of the IISTPS charter of continuing education in the area of surface transportation policy. The topic for this symposium was selected to help meet the need for awareness of, and preparedness for, possible terrorist attacks on the surface transportation systems within the United States and the world

The Fourth National Security Summit: Approaches to Passenger Screening, MTI S-08-01

The Fourth National Security Summit: Approaches to Passenger Screening is the transcript of a symposium held on March 14, 2007. It was sponsored by the Mineta Transportation Institute and the American Public Transportation Association. For this symposium, numerous experts on security and terrorism, public policy makers, transit executives, and members of law enforcement were invited to participate in an open forum. Topics of discussion included: how public transportation is vulnerable to terrorist attack, and how public transportation has become a target for terrorist both in the United States and abroad; what techniques in screening can be considered the most realistic, reliable and effective; what new technologies may provide public transportation with increased security; how federal training programs and federal funds can most effectively be implemented and distributed nationwide; and finally, the best techniques in preventing terrorist attacks and mitigating risk

Meeting the Challenges of Urban Transportation, MTI Report-10-2969

This e-book is the edited proceedings of a SuperSession held during the American Society of Public Administrations (ASPA) 2010 conference, Invigorating Public Service for Change, which was held in San Jose, CA, on April 9-13. The Meeting the Challenges of Urban Transportation panel included Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) Executive Director Rod Diridon, Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) CEO Steve Heminger, and Silicon Valley Leadership Group President and CEO Carl Guardino. The presentation was moderated by the Honorable Norman Y. Mineta, former Secretary of Transportation and founder of MTI. Topics included a look at the MTCs regional transportation plans, planned expansion of the Bay Area Rapid Transit System (BART), and an overview of the proposed California high-speed rail system. Presentations were followed by a question and answer session

California Transportation Security Summits, MTI Report S-01-04

In the aftermath of September 11, it became undeniably clear that terrorists target civil transport systems and are willing to use transport systems as weapons of mass destruction as well as targets. In response to this threat, America ’s transportation community must adopt more effective measures to insure the safety of the millions of passengers and employees who use or work in transit facilities every day. To meet this heightened responsibility, leaders of the transportation community need high-quality information and appropriate policy guidance. To help meet this need, the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI)—a leader in transportation terrorism research since the mid-1990s—invited California transit officials to regional summits on surface transportation security during the spring of 2002. Participants were able to interact with some of the nation’s foremost experts on the terrorist threat to transportation, asking them the vital questions that local transit officials need to ask as they prepare for an uncertain future. This innovative local summit was modeled on MTI’s successful national summit on transportation security, held in Washington , D.C. just six weeks after 9/11

Third National Transportation Security Summit: Rail Security – A Symposium onTerrorism and Business Continuity, MTI Report s-05-02

This event is one in a series of research and information transfer symposia on transportation security best practices presented by the National Transportation Security Center (NTSC) at the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI). The symposium was held in conjunction with the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Annual Meeting in Dallas, Texas, on September 29, 2005. With a focus on operational security and business continuity for rail transportation systems in the event of terrorist act or cataclysmic natural disaster, this one-day symposium brought together transportation, security, emergency response, and business continuity management experts. Symposium presenters included Brian Michael Jenkins, Jeanne Lin, Dr. Frances L. Edwards, and Mortimer Downey, III. A panel presentation moderated by Mr. Downey, which included Greg Chilson, Greg Hull, Ron Hynes, and Jo Strang, offered lively discussion about such topics as crisis management, security practices and policies, and recommendations for making rail transportation more robust and secure