Interview with Mark Bernhard, Transportation System Planner for Lane County
Summary:
Mark Bernhard explained to me both why and why not high-speed in the Northwest corridor is feasible after the latest economic stimulus package last February. Mark is a stake holder, planning transportation systems for an entire county that lies at the end of a designated high-speed rail corridor.
Topic:
Category:
citizen
What is it?
an interview
Publication Information:
Edward Stratton is the medium conveying this interview. The interview was analyzed on March 2, 2009 in Eugene, Oregon.
Author:
Mark Bernhard
Location:
audio recording
Accessed:
March 2, 2009
Support:
Mark Bernhard, interviewee
Amtrak, passenger rail company
Savanna Crawford, a planner for ODOT
Mark Bernhard explained why high-speed trains are seen as important. He also said that it would take a federal or a multi-state approach to fund high-speed rail. He also said that there are a couple of reasons rail is becoming more palatable: a lower carbon footprint and shrinking air travel routes. Mr. Bernhard said the biggest problem with starting with high-speed rail is its high cost, especially in upgrading and building new railroad lines that can run high-speed rail. He said a connection from Seattle to Portland Makes the most sense, and that conventional rail might be an easier investment. He also said that a connection from Eugene to Sacramento isn’t feasible because the only Amtrak line goes through the Siskyou Mountains, which are too curvy. He ended by saying that Savannah Crawford, a planner for the Oregon Department of Transportation would be a good person to contact about high-speed rail.
Audience and Agenda:
The audience was one student who was fairly knowledgeable on the issues surrounding high-speed rail. The student expected an objective, in-depth opinion from a transportation planner not directly connected to either side of the issue.
Mark Bernhard is payed by Lane County. The county tries tailors responses to address its citizens. They are trying to provide effective answers, realistic answers.
Usefulness:
This interview entered local, state, and regional contexts, focusing on Eugene, Oregon, and the Portland-Seattle corridor. This source was created through the questions of a student looking for certain information.
Mark Bernhard was trying to give the student a realistic view of why high-speed transit might be a good option for the largest metro areas only. He was addressing a student with a fair amount of background information on high-speed rail, so he had to be straight.
He made the argument that while high-speed rail would work for the most populated areas, Eugene is not big enough to include a line. Focusing on only the most populated areas has been a developing point of my research.
Focusing on Oregon, this source relates to Source Notes 29. Being an interview, this source relates to Source Notes 29 and Source Notes 27.
Works Cited:
Mark Bernhard. Lane County Transportation System Planning. <http://www.co.lane.or.us/TransPlanning/>
“Contacts – Lane County.” Lane County, Oregon. <http://www.co.lane.or.us/contacts.htm>
Filed under: Citizen
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