Posted by Carrie Kissel, Associate Director

The speaker presentations and videos of some training sessions for the 2012 National Rural Transportation Peer Learning Conference have been posted at http://www.nado.org/events/rpo2012.  In addition, pictures of the mobile workshops have been posted to https://www.facebook.com/RPOAmerica. 

On April 25 – 27 in Burlington, Vermont, the National Rural Transportation Peer Learning Conference brought together 160 local, regional, state, and federal transportation professionals for three days of training and peer networking.  With the largest ever turnout of attendees and exhibitors, the conference provided training and facilitated discussion on a variety of transportation topics.  Federal Highway Administrator Gregory Nadeau addressed the group at the opening plenary, focusing on approaches to improving program delivery and sharing his experiences forging state and regional partnerships in his previous work at the Maine Department of Transportation.

The RPO America Peer Symposium featured presentations on rural planning organizations’ initiatives to address significant local technical assistance needs, as well as developing partnerships to plan and implement actions to improve economic development and transportation.

Two luncheon keynote presentations addressed the related themes of disaster recovery and economic vitality.  Vermont Agency of Transportation Deputy Secretary Sue Minter spoke about the state’s response to the devastation caused by Tropical Storm Irene and its partnerships with the state’s regional planning commissions, while Cabot Creamery Senior Vice President for Operations Jim Pratt addressed the disruptions that the natural disaster had on the business’s operations, as well as its typical reliance on the transportation network for short- and long-haul distribution.

In the closing plenary, NADO Executive Director Matthew Chase provided an update on surface transportation reauthorization and an outlook for future transportation policy.

Several breakout sessions featured training on topics such as mobility management, freight and economic development, safety, performance-based planning, participation and engagement, technology applications, and more.  Speakers’ presentation materials will be posted to www.NADO.org soon.

The conference was sponsored by Appalachian Regional Commission, Association of MPOs, Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission (VT), Development District Association of Appalachia, ESRI, Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration, Mid-East Commission (NC), National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) and NADO’s RPO America, Northwest Regional Planning Commission (VT), Parsons Brinkerhoff, Resource Systems Group, Stantec, Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission (VT), University of Vermont’s Transportation Research Center, Vermont Association of Planning and Development Agencies, and the Vermont Agency of Transportation.

For more information, visit www.NADO.org/events/rpo2012 or contact NADO Associate Director Carrie Kissel at 202.624.8829 or ckissel@nado.org.  Follow NADO’s RPO America on Twitter at @RPOAmerica, or join us on Facebook.

Save the date for next year’s event! 

2013 National Rural Transportation Peer Learning Conference | April 24 – 26, 2013 | Greenville, South Carolina