A stakeholder briefing for legislators, staff, and advocates hosted by Senator Bob Hasegawa member of the Legislative Rail Caucus.  [PLEASE RSVP below.]

Thursday, January 31 on the Capitol Campus, in Olympia
5:15 pm (reception with complimentary beverages and light food)
5:45-7:30 pm presentation and panel discussion

Location: John A. Cherberg Building - Conference Room A/B/C on the First Floor
304 15th Ave SW, Olympia, WA 98501

Railroads are essential infrastructure to a vibrant society. Worker and community safety, local economies, and the process of decarbonizing transportation and energy sectors requires public partnership with railroads to deliver a future that benefits all.

This event will begin with a presentation by visiting author Bruce Campbell speaking about his book The Lac-Megantic Railway Disaster: Public Betrayal, Justice Denied. Bruce will share a cautionary tail, the story of the runaway oil train that crashed in the small town of Lac-Megantic in Quebec province, Canada, on July 6, 2013. It killed forty-seven people, decimated a huge area of the town, caused environmental contamination of land and water, and traumatized the community in ways that are still deeply felt. The investigation that followed exonerated government and industry of responsibility, but the problems that caused the tragedy have not been solved.

Confirmed panelists include:

Luis Moscoso, Government Affairs Director of All Aboard Washington, affiliated with the national Rail Passengers Association. Luis is a former legislator and co-founder of the Legislative Rail Caucus will address the concerns of rail passengers and the need for cross sector collaboration.

Herb Krohn, President/Legislative Representative for UTU Local 1348 will bring a lifetime of railroad experience and address current legislative opportunities for improved rail safety and minimum crew sizes for hazardous cargo.

Bill Moyer, co-author of Solutionary Rail, will present on what the Washington Legislature can do to champion a railroad infrastructure that delivers greater economic, climate, and public health benefits to Washington residents. (See 3-minute introductory video at SolutionaryRail.org/srvideo)

Mark Hallenbeck, Director of the WA State Transportation Center (TRAC) at the University of Washington. Mark has been with TRAC for over 32 years. Much of Mark’s research involves the collection, use, summarization, and reporting of data that describe transportation system use and performance, and then using that information to work with the public and decision makers as they make major transportation and land use investment decisions. Mark will address potential value and challenges of assessing the feasibility of Solutionary Rail’s proposed approach.

Here's a map of the John A. Cherberg Building: