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Orlando Conference Identifies High-Speed Rail's Success Factors


March 4, 2010

By Tom Palmer



Read More: http://www.theledger.com/article/201...uccess-Factors

High-speed rail's success in Florida and the rest of the United States lies in effectively promoting and selling it as a safe, convenient, environmentally friendly mode of transportation. That was the message about 250 consultants and vendors attending the High Speed Rail 2010 conference in Orlando were told Thursday.

But to do that, leaders have to communicate openly with the public and plan routes and station locations that will create jobs, revitalize communities and get people where they want to go efficiently. The two-day conference at the Hilton on International Drive was organized by US High Speed Rail Association of Washington, D.C., to promote high-speed rail projects across the United States.

Thursday's conference featured presentations by Florida public officials, high-speed rail company representatives and legal, financial, development, engineering and media experts. They discussed how Florida's project - and any other high-speed rail project - should be planned, promoted, built and used for economic development. Ed Turanchik, a longtime Tampa leader for improved transit, said the way Florida handles the project is crucial.