Some of the most prominent names in New York transportation will come together to discuss traffic congestion at “The Challenge of Congestion in the New York Region,” an all-day conference hosted by NYU Wagner’s Rudin Center for Transportation Policy & Management and the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council. The event will be held Tuesday, November 16, 2004 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., at NYU’s Kimmel Center, 60 Washington Square South.

Despite an enormous transportation infrastructure, congestion in the New York region is a large problem with real and growing costs. Addressing this problem is a complex undertaking involving multiple strategies. At the same time, the region’s long-term finances are constrained by the huge costs of maintaining the transportation system. The conference will focus on the issue of highway and street congestion and developing a regional congestion agenda.

Speakers at the conference include New York Metropolitan Transportation Council members:

  • New York State Transportation Commissioner Joseph H. Boardman
  • Westchester County Executive Andrew Spano
  • Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef
  • New York City Transportation Commissioner Iris Weinshall

Other speakers and panel moderators include:

  • Anthony Downs, senior fellow, Brookings Institution
  • Tyler Duvall, deputy assistant secretary, United States DOT
  • Honorable Thom Kleiner, supervisor, Town of Orangetown, NY
  • Mark Kulewicz, director of traffic engineering, American Automobile Association
  • Elliot G. Sander, director, NYU Wagner Rudin Center
  • James T. B. Tripp, general counsel, Environmental Defense
  • Jeffrey M. Zupan, senior fellow, Regional Plan Association

Established in 1938, the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service offers advanced programs leading to the professional degrees of Master of Public Administration, Master of Urban Planning, Master of Science in Management, and Doctor of Philosophy. Through these rigorous programs, NYU Wagner educates the future leaders of public, nonprofit, and health institutions as well as private organizations serving the public sector. http://wagner.nyu.edu

The New York Metropolitan Transportation Council (NYMTC) is a regional council of governments and transportation providers that serves as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the New York metropolitan region consisting of New York City and the counties of Nassau, Putnam, Rockland, Suffolk, and Westchester. NYMTC provides a collaborative planning forum to address transportation-related issues from a regional perspective and plans and makes decisions on the use of federal transportation funds. http://www.nymtc.org

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