MTI Executive Director Invited to Washington DC for President Obama´s National High-Speed Rail Plan Announcement

The Hon. Rod Diridon, Sr., executive director of the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI), has been invited to participate in a public announcement of President Barack Obama’s national high-speed rail (HSR) master plan. The President’s announcement will take place at the Executive Office Building adjacent to the White House on Thursday, April 16, at 9:00 a.m. EDT. Mr. Diridon will be part of a select group of national HSR leaders attending the meeting.

“The announcement underscores the President’s high regard for high-speed rail and its ability to create jobs and mobility for the United States,” said Mr. Diridon.

In addition to his role with MTI, Mr. Diridon is chair emeritus and a member of the board of directors for the California High-Speed Rail Authority. He also chairs the National High-Speed and Inter-City Rail Committee of the American Public Transportation Association.

California voters recently approved a $9.95 billion bond measure to build a high-speed rail system between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Those funds, coupled with the $8 billion in HSR funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act stimulus program, help to make the California high-speed rail project a reality.

Mr. Diridon will be available for interviews to provide additional information about the President’s plan following the announcement. Please call MTI’s communications director, Donna Maurillo, at 408-924-7564 or 831-234-4009.

ABOUT THE MINETA TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE:

The Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) was established by Congress in 1991 as part of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) and was reauthorized in 1998. The institute is funded by Congress through the US DOT’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration, by the California Legislature through the Department of Transportation (Caltrans), and by other public and private grants and donations. The US DOT selected MTI as a national “Center of Excellence” following a 2002 competition.

The Institute has a Board of Trustees whose internationally-respected members represent all major surface transportation modes. MTI’s focus on policy and management resulted from a board assessment of the industry’s unmet needs and led directly to choosing the San José State University College of Business as the Institute’s home. MTI conducts research, education, and information and technology transfer focusing on transportation policy and management topics and issues.