Rail*Trains*Ecology*Cycling will host its 3rd Annual National Train Day on Sat. May 8, 2010 from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Michael Greenberg, singer-songwriter-guitarist and Berklee School of Music graduate, will open the event.

A number of topical discussions will take place between 1 and 4 p.m.

One will be to celebrate the 90th Anniversary of the opening of New Haven Union Station, the 4-story beaux-arts building designed by prominent architect Cass Gilbert. Mr. Gilbert not only designed Union Station, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975, but also designed two buildings with U.S. National Historic Landmark status: the Woolworth Building, which at 57-stories was world's tallest building from 1913 to 1930 and the 4-story U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington D.C.

Confirmed speakers on New Haven Union Station panel:
Bruce Clouette. Mr. Clouette will speak about Union Station's architect, Cass Gilbert.

Joe Taylor. Mr. Taylor is a New Haven native who works at Yale, who has collected postcards depicting New Haven's history.

Two will be to discuss regional rail connectivity from the New England perspective, but also within Connecticut. This will include the importance of integrating commuter-"lifestyle" rail, Amtrak and future high-speed rail and time-transfer shuttle service to train stations into a seamless travel experience.

Confirmed speakers on Transit-Oriented Development panel:
Douglas Rae. Mr. Rae is the Richard S. Ely Professor of Management & Professor of Political Science at Yale University. He holds a MS & PhD from University of Wisconsin and BA from Indiana University. Mr. Rae's most recent book is City: Urbanism and Its End was published by Yale University Press in 2003. Mr. Rae is a past Guggenheim Fellow and consults for three European Union countries.

Mr. Rae will discuss TOD's potential to boost rail ridership and create vibrant bicycle and pedestrian-friendly districts with tax-generating, mixed-use residential and commercial buildings.

Philip Langdon. Mr. Langdon is the senior editor at New Urban News and writes commentaries for the Place page on the Sunday Hartford Courant.

Along with Robert Steuteville, Mr. Langdon recently assembled the 4th Edition of a 448-page book entitled "New Urbanism Best Practices Guide" and prior to that Mr. Langdon wrote "A Better Place to Live," which was published in 1994.

Mr. Langdon holds a M.A. in History from Utah State University, a B.A. from Alleghany College and studied as a National Endowment for Humanities Professional Journalism Fellow at the University of Michigan and Knight Fellow in Community Building at University of Miami.

Three will be to discuss the importance of achieving seamless bicycle-rail integration and bicycle-friendly communities within our train station "bikesheds."

Confirmed speaker on the relationship between transportation and health: Linda Degutis, DrPH, MSN serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Emergency of Medicine at the Yale School of Medicine. She is the Director of Research, an Associate Clinical Professor of Nursing and serves in a joint faculty appointment with the Yale School of Public Health. Ms. Degutis served as Past President of the American Public Health Association. She also serves on the Executive Board of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety. Ms. Degutis will discuss the health benefits of travel by rail and bicycle.

Five will be to discuss how train service can be specifically improved in the City of New Haven.

There will also be model railroad and vintage photography displays.

For more information, contact Richard Stowe at bike.rail.politics@gmail.com.