"This annual conference brings together some of high speed rail's most knowledgeable people. Anyone who wants to know more about this transportation mode will learn not only about the California high-speed rail project, but also how private investment capital will be brought into the projects, how Americans can advocate for high-speed rail, how to bring multi-modal transit centers into the mix, what the 21st century rail stations will include, and much more." Rod Diridon, MTI
Jeff Morales has a distinguished record of experience managing large and complex transportation issues and projects. As the former Director of the California Department of Transportation, Morales managed a $10 billion program and more than 23,000 employees working to build, maintain and operate the largest state transportation system in the U.S.
Morales is the past executive vice president of the Chicago Transit Authority where he spearheaded major reforms at the nation’s second-largest transit agency. His experience at the federal level includes serving as a member of President-Elect Obama’s transition team focusing on transportation, Vice President Al Gore’s National Performance Review, the White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security, the United States Department of Transportation and as U.S. Senate staff.
He most recently was Senior Vice President of Parsons Brinckerhoff, where he worked with transportation agencies across the United States and internationally to develop and implement major capital programs.
Maria Ayerdi-Kaplan, Executive Director - Transbay Joint Powers
Ms. Ayerdi-Kaplan leads and manages the $4.2 billion Transbay Transit Center Project— “the Grand Central Station” of the West. The Transbay Project consists of a new multi-modal Transit Center on the site of the Transbay Terminal in San Francisco, the extension of rail service from 4th and King Streets to the new Terminal, and a redevelopment area surrounding the new Transit Center. Featuring intercity, regional, and local buses along with commuter and future High-Speed Rail, the Project will ultimately connect 11 different public transit systems.
The Project will also create a 40-acre pedestrian friendly community of 2,600 new housing units, one third of which will be affordable. By providing the public with safe, convenient, and inexpensive public transit options, and by creating a livable community near transit, employment, shopping, and other urban amenities, the Transbay Project is a national model for the integration of land use and transportation planning. The Project is more than a vision; it is the first High-Speed Rail project to break ground in the US. Ms. Ayerdi Kaplan, a member of the State Bar of California, has served as the Mayor of San Francisco’s Transportation Policy Advisor and Project Director, the Vice-Chair of the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board (Caltrain), Deputy Director on the Bay Area Air Quality Management District Board, member of the Executive Committee of the Association of Bay Area Governments, and on the Transbay Joint Powers Authority Board. Ms. Ayerdi-Kaplan is a member of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), the Urban Land Institute (ULI), and the Conference for Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO). She is a Marshall Memorial Fellowship recipient and in 2002 was named San Francisco Tomorrow’s Unsung Hero for her work in transportation.
Ms. Ayerdi-Kaplan was named one of the Most Influential Women in the Public Sector by the San Francisco Business Times, in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 and was named the 2007 Employee of the Year by the Northern California Chapter of the Conference of Minority Officials. She has also been honored as Woman of the Year by the San Francisco Chapter of the Women’s Transportation Seminar and named one of the Most Influential Latinos in the Bay Area by the San Francisco Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for her work on the Transbay Transit Center project.
Takis Salpeas, Senior Vice President, Director Global Rail - Parsons
Takis Salpeas is a rail executive with 30 years of progressive private- and public-sector experience in the development and implementation of large, complex public infrastructure projects, including more than 25 years of experience with all phases of transit system operations. In his role as Parsons’ director of global rail, Takis focuses on business development and is responsible for growing Parsons’ rail and transit systems business in markets around the world.
Takis has earned master’s degrees from the University of Pennsylvania in both civil (MSCE) and systems (MSSE) engineering, along with a degree in economics from Athens University, and has published more than 70 professional papers, reports, and articles. A certified construction manager, Takis’ knowledge of engineering practices, economics, planning, and construction management, gleaned from both his extensive education and work experience, contributes to the successful implementation of projects and programs.
Before joining Parsons’ Rail and Transit Systems Division, Takis was responsible for managing $10 billion of rail transit planning, design, and construction in Washington, D.C. for the Washington Metro, San Francisco for BART; and Philadelphia for SEPTA.
Rod Diridon, Executive Director - Mineta Transportation Institute
Rod Diridon, Sr., has served as executive director of the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) created by Congress in 1991. Mr. Diridon has chaired more than 100 international, national, state and local programs, most related to transit and the environment. He frequently provides legislative testimony on sustainable transportation issues and is regarded by many as the "father" of modern transit service in Silicon Valley.
He was appointed by Governors Davis and Schwarzenegger, in 2001 and 2006, respectively, to the California High-Speed Rail Authority Board, of which he is chair emeritus. After many years of public service in various capacities in California, Santa Clara County renamed its main train station "San Jose Diridon Station" in his honor.
Thanks to our sponsors!
Don't miss this exciting high speed rail event! West Coast Rail Conference - June 2-4 in San Francisco.
Business and political leaders will come together with the world's top experts to bring high speed rail to America.
Construction is underway on the first phase of the state-wide, 800-mile state-of-the-art transportation system set to revolutionize mobility in America.
This new rail system will carry more than 100 million people each year once built out - saving time, money, energy, and lives daily for decades. Don't miss it!
USHSR California HSR Map
PREVIOUS CONFERENCE ATTENDEES INCLUDE EXECUTIVES OF:
CA High Speed Rail Authority Mineta Transportation Inst. MTA Los Angeles
XpressWest
CA DOT Caltrans Balfour Beatty AECOM Parsons Brinckerhoff KCI Technologies Bechtel Flour Louis Berger Group GE Transportation Samsung U.S.-Japan High Speed Rail Central Japan Railway
East Japan Railway Japan Int'l Transport Institute CRCC (China) TSDI (China) CSR (China) NDF (China) Korail TUC Rail Alstom Siemens Talgo CAF USA Bombardier Hyundai Rotem Kawasaki Rail Car Renfe Virgin Rail Transmetrics
GEODATA GKK Works INC Group Ginprosa Freeport McMoRan IRWA Skanska Kelar Pacific Caltrop Corporation RBF Consulting Sukut Construction Riverside Co. Transport Comm. So. CA Assn. of Gov'ts. Julien, Inc. Law Office of Sima Salek Biggs Cardosa Associates ENGEO Incorporated PECG V&A, Inc. Aetypic Ninyo & Moore TY Lin International Nova Consulting Sener
Foster + Partners Architects HOK Architects
SOM Architects Gensler Dover Kohl Urban Land Institute Forest City John Buck Company Akridge Stonebridge Autodesk Bentley Systems Terracon Hatch Mott MacDonald HNTB Arup Honeywell City of Anaheim CH2M Hill Kustom Seating Systra Ardanuy UIC ARTBA SMI International First Southwest Investment Bank Hill & Knowlton Global-5 Communications InfraWest Arcadis TransitWorks
Sunbelt Rentals
Cordoba Corp. Shaw Group Faithful+Gould CA. HSR Authority CA DOT APTA GPO, Inc. GPO A&E Athalye Eng. A Squared Ventures Century Diversified Twining, Inc HDR L.K. Comstock Maintenance Design Group Huffman-Broadway Group MAJ Consulting David Evans & Associates PECG Univ. of Illinois Kimley-Horn and Associates PQM, Inc. Anil Verma Associates Jack McKinnon Consulting KOA Corporation Voestalpine Nortrak Gannett Fleming
Amtrak DLA Piper Holland & Knight Manatt Quarles and Brady Parker Poe Lockheed Martin Raytheon Northrop Grumman Alion Science & Tech. BAE Systems Xpress West Invensys Rail Sumitomo Finley Engineering Mc Dean Archer Western Pandrol Liebherr NKT Cables Southwire Fooke USPIRG Gov't. of Quebec Wilbur Smith
APT
Cal State U
New Age Industries
Twining, Inc.
Athalye Consulting Eng
Hahn Air
KPMG
ABA Global
Harrison & Bonini
Wilson, Ihrig
AIPRO
Sharon Greene David Evans and Associates
Overland, Pacific & Cutler
RailPros, Inc.
Nossaman LLP
EVRAZ-Ricky Mountain Steel
Diaz Yourman
Legion America
W2 Design, Inc.
ASM Affiliates EDC
Consulate General of Japan
Korean Consulate
UK Trade & Investment
Herbert Smith Freehills
Bringing 21st Century Transportation to America!
jobs | economic recovery | mobility | safety | energy security | climate solution
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