Vehicular Technology Society

This meeting may be online only depending on developments with the pandemic. A decision on the venue will be made in mid-August. If held at APTA, we will try to also make the meeting available online.

A Canadian Rail Adventure in 1974 In October 1974 Ken rode The Canadian, from Montreal to Vancouver, on CP Rail.  While planning to stop over in Banff, he secured a locomotive cab ride over Kicking Horse Pass, through the spiral tunnels, spent the night with the crew, and returned to Banff the next day.  While in Vancouver, he took a... Read more →

The streetcar, or “trolley,” played a vital role in the growth of 20th century American cities. Thanks to its high-speed, efficient transportation, people could live much farther from their work than if they had to walk or rely on horse-drawn cars. As a result, cities expanded along the streetcar routes built out from their centers.... Read more →

Virginians for High Speed Rail (VHSR) is a non-profit founded in 1994 to educate and advocate for the expansion of fast, frequent, and reliable passenger rail service connecting Virginia to destinations up and down the east coast. Among their accomplishments over the past several years is expansion of Amtrak Northeast Regional service to Norfolk and Roanoke, increase in the frequency of rail service, and acquisition of part of the Richmond-Washington railroad right of way by the Commonwealth of Virginia. But that's just the beginning - they have bold, ambitious plans for continued growth and expansion of passenger rail. Danny's presentation will discuss past successes and goals for the future -- both the positive news and challenges that they face.

MDOT MTA is in the process of developing a Statewide Transit Plan (STP) to define public transportation goals and strategies for Maryland’s rural, suburban, and urban regions. The Plan will create a 50-year vision toward increasingly coordinated, equitable, and innovative mobility with a dignified customer experience. This webinar will include an overview of the draft vision and goals of the plan, highlights from the public survey responses, and a summary of existing and projected trends impacting transit. More information on the Statewide Transit Plan is available at www.mta.maryland.gov/statewide-plan.

Our guest speaker will provide a high level overview of meeting the PTC statute, some lessons learned, and what comes next in terms of technology and future development. Carolyn Hayward-Williams joined FRA in 2017 and inherited the PTC Division. Over the last four years, Carolyn has led the FRA PTC and Signal & Train Control... Read more →

The Washington DC Trolley Story Our speaker will describe the evolution of the street railway system in the Washington metropolitan area, which included horsecars, cable cars, and electric trolleys. Larry will touch on the social and economic impact of the streetcar on public life, and the physical and political conditions in Washington which influenced transit... Read more →

About the Topic: Today, Washington’s commuter rail system, MARC and VRE, are confined within the states that they operate. However, the Washington region is in need of cross state regional rail service (“run through service”) to help create seamless connectivity to jobs, housing and other important destinations. The Greater Washington Partnership is advancing the notion... Read more →