On April 21, 1 – 2:00 p.m. ET, the NADO Research Foundation will host the free webinar Access vs. Isolation: Preserving Rail Connectivity. As regional economies change over time, the demand for transportation facilities and services also evolves. Nationally, coal’s share of electricity generation has decreased over time, but production remained fairly steady until 2007. Beginning with the recession in 2007 and other factors, the domestic and international demand for U.S. coal decreased, leading to a dramatic decline in coal output. As a result, the demand for transportation also decreased sharply and led to reductions in private sector transportation service. During the webinar, three speakers will talk specifically about how the shifting economy has affected rail service in Appalachia, a concern for maintaining and growing future economic activity that might rely on access to active rail lines.
Since rail lines and service are a valuable transportation network asset, the webinar speakers will use Appalachia as an example to frame the issue of rail preservation for attendees within the region and elsewhere in the nation. The speakers will provide context for the economic changes that led to a change in transportation demand as well as suggest public sector strategies to preserve rail connectivity. This webinar will provide information for executive directors, economic development, transportation, and regional planning staff of regional development organizations and their regional and local government partners, as well as planning and multimodal staff of state DOTs, and others interested in preserving rail transportation.
1 AICP CM credit is available for attending this webinar.
Webinar speakers will include:
Register online here.
National Association of Development Organizations & NADO Research Foundation
122 C Street, NW, Suite 830, Washington, DC 20001This site is funded in part by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Federal Highway Administration.
