On Tuesday, we will be welcoming delegates for this year's Cascadia Conference, organized by the Cascadia Project, a nonprofit alliance of communities in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. Delegates from Eugene, Seattle, Portland, Vancouver, B.C., and other cities will spend two days in workshops with their counterparts from rural communities. In partnership with the University of Oregon, we are looking forward to showcasing our city and county as a national model for "green communities." Panels and workshops will include: High speed rail: A high-speed passenger rail system linking Eugene/Springfield to Vancouver, B.C., and relieving pressure on Interstate 5 is a pivotal project to achieving the Cascadia vision. Delegates will hear from Amtrak West CEO Gil Mallery about the $10 billion High Speed Rail Investment Act...The federal bill could result in more than $500 million in new track improvements, improving the travel times of both passenger and freight rail, and enhanced rail crossings for safer and improved pedestrian access...The local success of the Amtrak Cascades service, which links Eugene, Portland and Seattle, continues, and we've seen continued ridership increases and positive customer satisfaction.
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