More so than most states, Pennsylvania is at a turning point as it confronts its transportation future. Much of the state’s diverse transportation infrastructure needs upgrading or replacement, at the same time that new technologies are coming down the pike which are changing the way we think about transportation. In Pennsylvania, as in other states, voters are looking to Congress to take the lead in identifying priorities and providing funding, but Congress has again kicked the can down the road.
Please join us on Monday, October 6th at 6 pm in Meyerson B-3 for a facilitated discussion between Rina Cutler, Al Biehler, and Professor Megan Ryerson about “The Future of Transportation in Pennsylvania and Beyond.” This is an all-star cast.
Rina Cutler was appointed Philadelphia Deputy Mayor for Transportation and Utilities by Mayor Michael Nutter in March, 2008. Ms. Cutler oversees the operations of a variety of City agencies including the Streets Department, the Philadelphia Water Department and the Philadelphia International Airport. Prior to returning to Philadelphia, Ms. Cutler was the Deputy Secretary for Administration for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
Al Biehler was appointed a Distinguished Service Professor of Transportation Systems and Policy at the H. John Heinz III College at Carnegie Mellon University in 2012; where he also serves as Executive Director of CMU’s University Transportation Center. Prior to his CMU appointment, Al served as Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department Transportation for eight years leading an organization that operated the nation’s fifth largest state highway system and administered one of the nation’s largest grant programs for mass transit, rail freight, and aviation.
Dr. Megan S. Ryerson is an Assistant Professor of City and Regional Planning and Electrical and Systems Engineering in the area of Transportation at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Ryerson’s research blends optimization models and econometric models to investigate how the transportation system will respond to changes or system disruptions in the future.
