05-18-10 High Speed Rail and the Future of Transportation in America

PARTICIPATING PANELISTS:

Katsuhiko Ichikawa, General Manger, Central Japan Railway Company
Yoriko Kishimoto, Former mayor of Palo Alto and Co-founder of the Peninsula Cities Consortium
Masayuki Tanemura, Consul for High Speed Rail Project, Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco
Louis Thompson, Principal, Thompson, Galenson and Associates; Member, Board of Directors of the Railroad Research Foundation; and Member, Peer Review Panel, California HSR Authority

PRESENTATION LIVECAST

PRESENTATION SLIDES
Presentation: Tanemura (pdf)
Presentation: Kishimoto (pdf)
Presentation: Thompson (pdf)

EVENT OVERVIEW

“High speed rail is a smart transportation system equal to the needs of the 21st Century”
- President Obama, April 2009

President Obama’s 2009 economic stimulus package included $8 billion to help realize a very long-time goal of many in the US: high speed rail. Notably in Japan, but elsewhere in the world as well, high speed rail has proven to be an effective, energy-efficient mode of long-distance transportation. High speed rail has also been shown to reduce transit times, highway and airport congestion, and pollution ― all while stimulating the economy through the addition of tens of thousands of jobs. Nonetheless, as with any massive project, the devil is in the details. Many questions are still to be answered, including the role that Japanese technology will play in making this dream a reality in the US. Join us for a lively discussion of the promise and pitfalls we face as we embark on this exciting era.

Yoriko Kishimoto will speak about her vision for a green transportation future for California. High speed rail is great in concept — but it must be done right. Can we afford to build it? Can we afford not to build it? Yoriko will talk about how high speed rail must be integrated into our state planning for economic development, regional transportation networks, air quality, open space and our walkable communities. Masayuki Tanemura will provide an overview of the Japanese High Speed Rail System including its history, construction scheme, features and economic effects. Katsuhiko Ichikawa will speak about the ways in which Japanese rail technology leaders in general, and Central Japan Railway Co. in particular, will partner with the US as we implement a uniquely American high speed rail system in California and across the country. Mr. Ichikawa will offer invaluable insights into the advantages of the Japanese High Speed Rail System. Louis Thompson will speak on the topic of “Worldwide Issues with high speed rail: What Questions, What Answers?” He will look at worldwide experience with high speed rail and show how the US fits into the picture. *Speakers are subject to change

PANELISTS

KATSUHIKO ICHIKAWA
Katsuhiko Ichikawa is General Manager of Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Central) in its Washington DC Office. After a stint at Nihon Gakki Seizo KK (the predecessor to Yamaha Corporation), Mr. Ichikawa joined Central Japan Railway Company in 1989. Since then, he has held several general manager positions in locations as diverse as Sydney, Los Angeles, Washington DC, and Tokyo. Mr. Ichikawa holds a BA in Politics and Economics from Waseda University.

YORIKO KISHIMOTO
Yoriko Kishimoto was Mayor of Palo Alto in 2007, with a call to action to “build a green economy through innovation.” She has a Stanford MBA, is the author of The Third Century: America’s Resurgence in the Asian Era (1988), and an expert on transportation. She is passionate about walkable, bikeable communities and was a co-founder of the Peninsula Cities Consortium, which brought five cities together to work on high-speed-rail related issues. Yoriko served on the Valley Transportation Authority Board of Directors, where she advocated for a real-time data system for transit systems, carshare and bikeshare pilot programs, community shuttles, electrification of Caltrain and integration with the other regional rail systems.

MASAYUKI TANEMURA
Masayuki Tanemura is Consul for High Speed Rail Project, Consulate-General of Japan in San Francisco. Previously, he held senior positions in several transportation-focused bureaus of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) and was Deputy Director of the Secretariat for the Council for Science and Technology Policy, a cabinet office. Mr. Tanemura was also a member of the Faculty of Engineering, Tokyo University.

LOUIS THOMPSON
Louis Thompson is Principal of Thompson, Galenson and Associates, as well as a Member of the Board of Directors of the Railroad Research Foundation and a Member of the Peer Review Panel, California High Speed Rail Authority. Previously, he held senior positions at The World Bank and the US Department of Transportation and has served as a project engineer and consultant to the transportation industry. Mr. Thompson holds an ScB in Chemical Engineering from MIT and an MBA from Harvard University.