High Speed Rail: Future of the Fast Track

Ian Mitroff, Founder, Mitroff Crisis Management; Professor, UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design
Paul Saffo, Managing Director, Foresight, Discern Analytics
Will Kempton, CEO, Orange County Transportation Authority
Additional Panelists TBA

Prior to recent changes in the High Speed Rail Authority’s proposal for the controversial, multi-billion dollar project, critics had labeled prospects for high speed rail in California a “train to nowhere.” With a reduction in price tag of almost $30 billion and a new plan for connecting the Bay Area to Los Angeles, the project is regaining some traction. Given the political, financial and social climate surrounding the high speed rail project, what is the best approach going forward? Our panelists will provide a broad-based long- and short-term economic analysis of California’s high speed rail project and discuss lessons learned from systems already in operation worldwide.