GNWPRS Winter Passenger Rail Gathering, Centralia, WA, December 9, 2023
2023 Gathering Recordings / 2023 Gathering Register / 2023 Gathering Sponsors
Why High-Tech Driving Doesn't Solve Traffic, and Why a Robust Rail Network is a Better Alternative
Peter Norton, Ph.D, will be giving a presentation about why improvements to automobile technology can’t solve the fundamental underlying problems of a highly car-dependent society, based on research from his books Autonorama: The Illusory Promise of High-Tech Driving and Fighting Traffic: The Dawn of the Motor Age in the American City. Following will be a presentation by Meredith Richards about how Virginia has discovered rail’s ability to increase transportation capacity at a fraction of the cost of continued roadbuilding.
Keynote Speakers
Peter Norton Ph. D, is associate professor of history in the Department of Engineering and Society at the University of Virginia, where he teaches history of technology, social dimensions of engineering, research, and professional ethics. He is the author of Fighting Traffic: The Dawn of the Motor Age in the American City (MIT Press), and of Autonorama: The Illusory Promise of High-Tech Driving (Island Press, 2021).
Meredith Richards is President of the Virginia Rail Policy Institute, Board Chair of the Rail Passengers Association, and former President of Virginians for High Speed Rail. She has a long history in rail advocacy and community involvement, including serving on the Charlottesville City Council and over 30 years involvement in public boards and commissions relating to transportation planning, municipal government, economic development and land use.
Saturday, December 9, 2023, 10:00 am - 3:45 pm PT
Centralia, WA Depot
Also available on Zoom
Hosted by All Aboard Washington, The Association of Oregon Rail and Transit Advocates, All Aboard Northwest, and the Northwest Region of the Rail Passengers Association.