Passenger Rail Forum - October 26

People interested in passenger rail travel and rail transit are invited to attend a program and luncheon to learn about recent innovations in the Midwest. The annual Passenger Rail Forum is Monday, October 26, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Toledo Club, 235 14th St., Toledo, OH. The program is organized by the Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments (TMACOG) and the Northwest Ohio Passenger Rail Association (NOPRA).

Passenger Rail Forum

The Toledo Amtrak station is the busiest passenger rail station in Ohio with more than 85,000 passengers in 2013. There is a strong regional interest in train travel in the general public as can be seen in the large crowds that attend National Train Day Toledo in May. The Northwest Ohio Passenger Rail Association (NOPRA) and TMACOG presented a Passenger Rail Forum for everyone interested in train transportation Monday, November 17.

The keynote speaker for this year’s event was David King, general manager of Triangle Transit in the Durham/Raleigh/Chapel Hill region of North Carolina. King is a former leader of the North Carolina Department of Transportation rail division where he was instrumental in extending passenger rail in the state. He is past chair of Reconnecting America, an organization working to redefine national policies on intercity travel for a convenient, secure, financially viable, and sustainable network. 

The forum also included a panel discussion with public transit experts:

·         Rob Greenlese, Commissioner, Ohio Rail Development Commission

·         Gabriel Hall, President, US RAIL Corporation

·         Royce Maniko, AICP, Manager of Community Planning–Michigan, The Mannik & Smith Group

Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments | www.tmacog.org

Annual Passenger Rail Forum

Learn about what’s new in passenger rail and meet with transit professionals at the annual Passenger Rail Forum, Monday, November 17, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Toledo Club. TMACOG Public Transit & Passenger Rail Committee and the Northwest Ohio Passenger Rail Association (NOPRA) are hosts. The luncheon and meeting are open to the public.

The keynote speaker for this year’s event is David King, general manager of Triangle Transit in the Durham/Raleigh/Chapel Hill region of  North Carolina. King is a former leader of the North Carolina Department of Transportation rail division where he was instrumental in extending passenger rail in the state. He is board chair of Reconnecting America, an organization working to redefine national policies on intercity travel for a convenient, secure, financially viable and sustainable network. 

Registration for the forum is required. Log on to PassengerRailForum.eventbrite.com. Tickets are $28 for NOPRA members, $34 for non-members, and $20 for students. For more information, contact NOPRA at NWOhioPassengerRail@gmail.com, or Diane Reamer-Evans at TMACOG at 419.241.9155 ext. 117. 

Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments | www.tmacog.org