Upcoming Events

Rail~Volution is, first and foremost, a conference for passionate practitioners - people from all perspectives who believe strongly in the role of land use and transit as equal partners in the quest for greater livability and greater communities. You should attend the conference if you:

• Want to see your community adopt an innovative approach to transit and other alternative forms of transportation.
• Work in the private sector and want to have meaningful interactions with potential new clients.
• Work in the public sector and want to learn best practices along with colleagues from around the U.S. and beyond.
• Want to have a stronger voice in how your community plans for future growth.

Attending Rail~Volution is like being in the midst of a living, breathing laboratory where the best new ideas from around the country are introduced, tossed around with great fervor, researched and tested thoroughly, and then shared among like-minded colleagues. Expect to attend hands-on workshops that feature case studies and how-to discussions, symposia that provide in-depth explorations of issues facing every community, and inspiring plenary sessions that showcase some of the best livability minds in the country and the world. Attend Rail~Volution and you are guaranteed to return home with a palette of new ideas and a toolbox of new strategies for making your community more livable.

Networking

Welcome Reception | Monday, October 27, 6:30 pm–8:00 pm
The 2008 Rail~Volution Bay Area Steering Committee and sponsors invite you to join them for a welcome reception at the newly renovated Ferry Building. Across the street from the conference hotel and located on the famous San Francisco Bay, the Ferry Building is one of the oldest structures in San Francisco. Rail~Volution attendees will be able to relax, talk and view the San Francisco Bay from one of the most popular spots in the Bay Area. Help get Rail~Volution 2008 started in style . . .

National Alliance of Public Transportation Advocates Meeting | Tuesday, October 28, 7:00 am
This introductory breakfast gathering is targeted toward advocates, first-time Rail~Volution attendees, and Rail~Volution scholarship recipients. The National Association of Public Transit Advocates (NAPTA) will meet to discuss communications and advocacy strategies related to the new federal transportation bill to be considered by the new Congress and President in 2009. For more information, go to www.napta.net.

New Starts Gathering | Tuesday, October 28, 12:00 pm
The New Starts Working Group - a coalition of nearly 60 transit authorities, local government entities, architectural and engineering firms, and rail car manufacturers - invites you to learn more about the coalition, as well as its work on issues that are shaping federal policy. The group has been active on climate change legislation to ensure that the important relationship between transit investments and land use are addressed in bills considered by Congress, as well as in the upcoming authorization of the federal surface transportation bill.

Elected Officials Gathering Tuesday | October 28, 4:30 pm
Does it sometimes seem as if you’re the only elected official in your community who understands that good urban design and transportation options are critically important in creating a healthy and economically vital community? Rest assured, there are other like-minded, forward-thinking elected officials around the country. Join your colleagues for informal discussions and a chance to talk about your successes and challenges in creating great places to live.

Trade Show Reception | Tuesday, October 28, 5:00 pm
Join us for this event and spend time talking with representatives from the country’s leading firms. Throughtout the conference, visit the booths and displays from exhibiting companies.

Community Streetcar Coalition | Wednesday October 29, 7:00 am
The Community Streetcar Coalition is a partnership of cities, transit authorities and architectural and engineering firms that supports the development of the Small Starts Program within the Federal Transit Administration. The coalition invites you to attend its semi-annual meeting to learn more about the coalition and to participate in a discussion about current issues facing streetcar projects, the administration of the program by the Federal Transit Administration and the upcoming federal surface transportation bill.

Transportation and Land Use Coalition Reception | Wednesday, October 29, 5:00 pm
Fee: $20 Mingle with conference attendees, as well as advocates and experts from throughout the Bay Area, who are working on transportation choices and pedestrian-friendly communities. Drinks and appetizers will be served at this event located near the hotel conference site. Event host and beneficiary is the Transportation and Land Use Coalition (www.transcoalition.org).

Mobile Workshops

1 Dublin Transit Center/Castro Valley BART | Monday, October 27 8:00 am–12:30 pm
Take the BART train to the terminus of the Dublin-Pleasanton Line in the East Bay community of Dublin and see first-hand how a public/private partnership can create a successful suburban transit station area with high-density housing units, an office campus area, a hotel and retail uses. For the Castro Valley segment of the mobile workshop, see the first joint development project built on BART land by the Bridge Housing Corporation. In Castro Valley, tour a 96-unit affordable housing development, the recently renovated Strobridge House, and a BART command center police facility. Cost: $35

2 Fruitvale Village/Hayward BART | Monday, October 27 8:00 am–12:30 pm
Take BART to the award-winning Fruitvale Village at the Fruitvale BART station and see how more than 20 public and private partners created an internationally-recognized model for transit-oriented development. The village encompasses a Head Start center, a Clinica de la Rasa medical facility, California’s first Spanish-oriented public library, a senior center, retail space, bike station and residential units. Later, board BART and visit the Hayward BART station and tour the award-winning Hayward City Hall. Finish with a walking tour of downtown Hayward and see nearly 900 residential units built within a strong pedestrian-transit context. Cost: $35

3 San Mateo County TOD – Heavy Rail | Monday, October 27 8:00 am–1:00 pm
This scenic mobile workshop will showcase transit-oriented development at three new stations. Ride BART to Millbrae and tour the station area that features a vibrant pedestrian-oriented mixed-use district. Also hear what the city, BART and Samtrans (County Transit) plan for a surface parking lot. Next visit the South San Francisco BART station where TOD development blurs the property boundaries to create an attractive mixed-use district. Finish with a visit to the Colma Station and a TOD of high-density affordable housing with a retail component and the beginning of an additional affordable housing development adjacent to the station. Cost: $35

4 East Bay Bike Tour: Comparing Present and Past | Monday, October 27 8:00 am–1:00 pm
Join us on a bicycle tour showcasing the latest improvements and plans for three BART stations in the East Bay. Starting at El Cerrito Del Norte BART, workshop participants will hear about the San Pablo Avenue planning process and check out Baxter Creek Park along a greenway. From there, head to El Cerrito Plaza with a quick stop to see streetscape improvements and coming development. The third stop is an historic transit neighborhood, followed by a ride along the route used for the East Bay Interurban Electric trains. The final stop will be the Ashby BART station. Cost: $40

5 Embarcadero & Market/Octavia – Former Freeway Neighborhoods | Monday, October 27 9:00 am–12:30 pm
This tour studies how two neighborhoods emerged from the shadows of elevated freeways that were demolished. Begin the tour along the Embarcadero and see the Ferry Plaza, historic F-Market streetcar line, and rejuvenated Ferry Building (new home to the famous farmer’s market). Ride the Muni to Van Ness and Market and walk to Hayes Valley, which underwent a renaissance when the double-decker Central Freeway was razed. Discuss the groundbreaking Market/Octavia Better Neighborhoods Plan and view the award-winning Octavia Boulevard. Cost: $35

6 East Bay/San Pablo Avenue Rapid Bus | Monday, October 27 9:00 am–12:30 pm
This mobile workshop illustrates the ongoing evolution of a transit corridor in the Bay Area. View the in-progress transformation of San Pablo Avenue from a traffic-choked state highway lined with auto body shops and liquor stores to a vibrant mixed-use corridor. Ride BART and the AC Transit’s Rapid bus to see how TOD has sprung up in several East Bay communities. Stop along the way and see how new housing, new retail, new transit, and streetscape improvements have worked together to humanize this busy arterial. Cost: $35

7 Downtown Berkeley/Richmond | Monday, October 27 9:00 am–1:00 pm
Ride BART to the downtown Richmond station, where BART meets Amtrak at a new intermodal station, and then tour the Citywalk TOD. The next stop is the downtown Berkeley BART station, where a walking tour highlights some of downtown’s notable mixed-use development, historical buildings and an innovative stacked parking area. Also hear how the city is considering whether to “daylight” Strawberry Creek, which runs below the street. Lunch will be provided in downtown Berkeley, followed by a tour of the mixed-used Artech Building. Cost: $35

8 San Francisco Bike Tour | Monday, October 27 9:00 am–12:30 pm (shorter tour) or until 2:00 pm (longer tour)
Famous for its steep hills, San Francisco is one of the best major bicycling cities in the U.S. Bicyclists now outnumber cars at peak times on downtown’s historic “main street.” For this mobile workshop, there are two options – a shorter tour and a longer tour. The shorter option (fewer than 10 miles) will focus on the new neighborhoods near demolished Embarcadero and Central freeways, along with the mural- and culture-rich Mission District. The longer option (about 20 miles) will view restored wetlands at Crissy Field, the Golden Gate Bridge and Golden Gate Park. Bicycles and lunch are provided. The pace will be appropriate for all cyclists, but the longer ride will include moderate hills. Cost: $35

9 Larkspur Landing | Monday, October 27 9:00 am–1:00 pm
Take a brisk and scenic ride that Bay Area commuters have been taking for more than a century – hop on a ferry! This tour departs from the historic San Francisco Ferry Building across the street from the hotel and connects to Larkspur Landing in Marin County, an emerging multi-modal hub. Take a short walk to site of the terminal station for the proposed SMART commuter rail service, which would run 70 miles north with an adjacent bicycle and pedestrian path. Finish with a short walk to the historic CalPark tunnel. Cost: $35

10 Mission Bay/T-Third Light Rail Line | Monday, October 27 12:00 pm–4:00 pm
This dynamic mobile workshop showcases a major new light-rail transit project along the entire eastern bay shore of San Francisco. Pass the vibrant South of Market neighborhood and PacBell Park, home of the San Francisco Giants. Also visit the Caltrain depot and get a look at construction of the new Mission Bay urban neighborhood. Along the route, workshop participants will see Muni’s Metro East facility under construction and the Central Waterfront Plan area. Tours of the historic Bayview neighborhood, where light rail once again meets Caltrain, and the future subway alignment to Union Square and Chinatown round out the workshop. Cost: $35

11 Mission District/Glen Park | Monday, October 27 1:00 pm–4:00 pm
This tour studies two neighborhoods developing around BART stations – the predominantly Latino Mission District and the bucolic Glen Park village. Ride BART with city and BART staff and see the distinctive art and plaza landscaping around the BART station, making it a gateway to this fast-changing, dense neighborhood. Ride BART to nearby Glen Park, where the new Better Neighborhood Plan envisions creek restoration and TOD in the shadow of a rare, pastoral San Francisco canyon. Finish with a tour of the charming Glen Park village. Cost: $35

12 Oakland HOPE VI TOD | Monday, October 27 1:00 pm–4:00 pm
Visit the city of Oakland’s future home to two Hope VI (the $5 billion innovative urban redevelopment and public housing program) transit-oriented developments that will serve as catalysts to market-rate developments at two BART stations. One development, adjacent to the West Oakland BART station, will produce a diverse range of housing types. Residents will have access to a child care facility, community centers and neighborhood retail. The second development, located near the Coliseum BART station, will transform a 22-acre site in East Oakland into housing, community services and an athletic field. Cost: $35

13 Pleasant Hill BART Transit Village and Contra Costa Centre | Monday, October 27 1:00 pm–4:30 pm
Travel on the Pittsburg/Bay Point BART line to the Pleasant Hill BART station, where the nearby Pleasant Hill Transit Village is under construction. Hear how, when completed, the village will include 550 residential units, 35,000 square feet of retail space, 270,000 square feet of office space, and a 20,000-square-foot conference center that came together under a unique public/public/private partnership. Also tour the adjacent 140-acre Contra Costa Centre, recently selected by the California State Auto Association as the site for its corporate headquarters. Cost: $35

14 Downtown Oakland BART Stations (19th Street and City Center) | Monday, October 27 1:00 pm–5:00 pm
Take BART to Oakland to witness the transformation around two downtown Oakland BART stations, resulting in 2,000 new residential units (and more to come), upscale restaurants, art galleries and eclectic retail shops. This walking tour will take you through significant preservation projects and five high-density mixed-use and residential developments. Oakland’s vision of bringing 10,000 residents to its urban core districts is well on its way! This tour will feature public and private sector leaders who are working together to reshape Oakland’s downtown for the 21st century. Cost: $35

15 San Mateo County TOD – Commuter Rail | Tuesday, October 28 1:00 pm–6:00 pm
This mobile workshop focuses on how peninsula towns that were established because of access to rail are being redeveloped. Begin by boarding BART and heading south to Millbrae Intermodal Station, where a proposed TOD would serve as a prime hub for transit connection among multiple agencies. Next, the tour will proceed on Caltrain to the Hillsdale Station where participants will walk/ride through the pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use redevelopment of the Bay Meadows racetrack, and then on to Redwood City. Ride Caltrain’s highly successful Baby Bullet back to San Francisco. Cost: $35

16 Market Street – F-Line Historic Streetcars along San Francisco’s Transit Spine | Wednesday, October 29 9:00 am–1:00 pm
All aboard the Muni Metro to Castro Street, then ride the F-line trolley down Market Street, San Francisco’s main transit artery. See how San Francisco’s workhouse transit line – with its tourist appeal – offers a scenic alternative to a light-rail transit subway. From the city’s famous Castro District, you’ll pass the construction site of a new surface boulevard that replaces the quake-damaged Central Freeway. At the foot of Market Street lies the Embarcadero, and a new light rail line – served by historic, vintage streetcars – leads to Fisherman’s Wharf. Cost: $35

17 Trails to Rails: Tour of Bike Facilities along Caltrain | Wednesday, October 29 12:00 pm–5:00 pm
Start this bike tour with a visit to Warm Planet Bikes in San Francisco, an innovative partnership that enhances access options for Caltrain riders by providing valet bicycle parking services. See how technology is advancing the accessibility of Caltrain stations for bicycles by using electronic lockers and Bikestation facilities. Learn about Caltrain’s Bicycle Master Plan and see the present and future of biking to Caltrain. The bicycling pace will be comfortable for all ability levels. Participants with or without bicycles are welcome on this tour. Cost: $35

18 Monterey County Rail Vision: on the Beautiful Central Coast | Thursday, October 30 7:30 am–6:00 pm
Join us for an all-day adventure to the Central Coast area of Monterey County. Begin the day with a Muni ride to Caltrain to catch the Baby Bullet to San Jose, where a charter bus will take the group to Monterey. Learn about the area’s vision for rail and rapid bus access, plans to convert an historic express rail line into a commuter route, and the growing campus of the California State University Monterey Bay. Enjoy a tour of a new environmentally sustainable shopping area, and end the day with a walk along the famous coastal trail. Cost: $50 (lunch not included)

19 Capital Corridor/Sacramento | Thursday, October 30 8:30 am–6:45 pm
Capitol Corridor will play host to an excursion in Sacramento (via bus and train) with the Railyards Redevelopment as a focal point, along with the Sacramento Rail Museum and Old Sacramento. Join city of Sacramento officials and other partners to learn about this exciting redevelopment project in downtown (240 acres in the urban core). The workshop includes a range of development types – including commercial, historical, museum/attractions, and residential. This unique project is a must-see for anyone who wants to see one of this area’s most cutting-edge redevelopments. Cost: $35 (lunch included)

20 Downtown San Jose | Thursday, October 30 10:15–am-6:00 pm
Learn about the dramatic, transit-oriented revitalization of downtown San Jose. The tour begins with a ride on the Caltrain rail line to San Jose, where participants will walk in the downtown area to see new mid-rise residential buildings, entertainment facilities and a river park trail. Learn about the planning process that has guided downtown’s development, including the roles played by the city of San Jose, San Jose Redevelopment Agency and local developers. Box lunches will be provided on the train to San Jose. Cost: $35

Full-Day Seminar

The Techniques and Metrics of Sustainable Urbanism | Thursday October 30 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sustainable urbanism – with its transit-served urbanism and high performance buildings and infrastructure – is gaining wide international acceptance. It does, however, require a fresh approach to our professional routines and a common shared vision of the future. Leading this all-day seminar is Douglas Farr, founding principal of Farr Associates, an award-winning architecture and planning firm widely regarded as one of the most sustainability-oriented design practices in the country. Participants will be led through the techniques and metrics outlined in Farr’s book and also will participate in a hands-on design workshop to design a sustainable diverse neighborhood and an energy-efficient sustainable corridor. Fee: $350 for the full day; includes copy of Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design with Nature

Keynote speakers

Congressman Earl Blumenauer, founder of Rail~Volution, has focused on transportation and livable communities during more than 35 years in public service. He currently serves on the Ways and Means Committee, the Budget Committee and the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. Congressman Blumenauer is gaining widespread support for his National Plan for Rebuilding and Renewing America for the 21st Century – focusing attention on the neglect of critical infrastructure in our country.

Stuart Cohen is co-founder and executive director of the Transportation and Land Use Coalition (TALC), a partnership of 110 environmental, social justice, labor and community groups. TALC's campaigns on transportation sales taxes, Regional Measure 2, and state funding measures have helped raise more than $6 billion for sustainable and socially-just transportation. Cohen also is co-founder and chair of ClimatePlan, a new state-wide network that promotes smart land-use and transportation choices as critical components of California’s climate strategy.

Steve Heminger oversees the regional transportation planning and finance agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area, which allocates more than $1 billion per year to fund, operate, maintain and expand the Bay Area’s surface transportation network. He was appointed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to serve on the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Committee, which will help chart the future course for the federal transportation program.

Chris Leinberger is a land-use strategist, developer and author, based in Washington, D.C. He is a Professor of Practice and Director of a new graduate Real Estate Development Program at the University of Michigan. Leinberger is also a visiting fellow at The Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C, focusing on research and practices that help transform traditional and suburban downtowns into pedestrian-oriented urban areas. In addition, he is a founding partner of Arcadia Land Company and recently wrote The Option of Urbanism, published by Island Press.

William W. Millar is a strong and articulate advocate for the public transportation industry and the need for increased investment. He has been president of the American Public Transportation Association since November 1996, after 24 years in a variety of positions in the public transportation field. Millar is credited with re-energizing the organization and forging new partnerships to make APTA the leading force in advancing public transportation. Today APTA membership and meeting attendance are at an all-time high, the industry is prospering, and transit ridership is at its highest level in 50 years.

Janette Sadik-Khan is nationally known for her expertise in innovative finance, public policy development and transportation issues. She has been commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation since 2007 and prior to that was a senior vice president of Parsons Brinckerhoff, a leading international engineering firm. She was previously deputy administrator at the U.S. Department of Transportation and held key leadership transportation positions in the New York City mayor’s office. Sadik-Khan is the chair of Reconnecting America and has been a Rockefeller fellow and a visiting scholar at New York University.