ATTENTION: Transportation, political, business writers

07 February 2002
Contact: Kathleen Maclay, Media Relations
(510) 643-5651
ckm@pa.urel.berkeley.edu

WHAT:
A free, public seminar about high-speed rail and the U.S. transportation crisis by Michael Dukakis - former Massachusetts governor, former presidential candidate, and current chair of the board of directors of Amtrak.

An advisory panel appointed by Congress is recommending that the financially-strapped national passenger railroad be replaced at least in part by private operators.

WHEN:
Tomorrow, Friday, Feb. 8, 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.

WHERE:
Sibley Auditorium at the Bechtel Engineering Center, University of California, Berkeley. For a map showing the location, see http://www.berkeley.edu/map/maps/AB45.html

WHO:
Dukakis, a visiting professor at UCLA, will be the guest of UC Berkeley's
Institute of Urban & Regional Development and the University of
California Transportation Center.

BACKGROUND:
The Dukakis seminar follows a report today (Thursday, Feb. 7) by the Amtrak Reform Council calling Amtrak flawed and outlining a plan to break up Amtrak and turn it over at least partially to private enterprise. Amtrak officials recently called for an infusion of $1.2 billion in federal funds for fiscal year 2003 in order to avoid drastic cuts in long-distance train service.