*Connect Ithaca: Promoting Alternative Transit-Oriented Development* *Brought to you by:* The Sustainability Hub at Cornell University rso.cornell.edu/sustainabilityhub
** Tuesday, November 6th, 2007 4:30-6:00PM Kauffman Auditorium, Goldwin Smith Hall - Cornell University Dear Ithaca community stakeholders and interested parties, You are cordially invited to attend to a special presentation on the possibility of bringing an alternative transportation pilot project to Ithaca, NY (and the greater region). I write as a representative of a new group of local professionals and community educators which formed this past summer to work on bringing transit-oriented development and associated "new mobility" systems to the Ithaca area. To this end, *Connect Ithaca* aims to facilitate a partnership among municipalities, campuses, and local neighborhoods to create high-quality vibrant and pedestrian friendly urban villages served by multi-modal transport systems that eliminate many of the negative effects of car-based, fossil-fuel dependent, sprawl development.** As part of our research, I attended the *PodCar City Conference* in Uppsala, Sweden http://www.podcar.org/uppsalaconference/ three weeks ago. At the event, my charge was to study various PRT (Personal Rapid Transit) Network Systems on exhibit; assess their relevancy to servicing the carbon-free future transportation needs of our City and region; and to evaluate the status of this emerging industry. I was also tasked to network directly with PRT corporate executives, transit engineers, system technicians, investors, conference organizers, and other municipal representatives from various international cities interested in adopting PRT. My report is encouraging! Ithaca is well positioned to become a beta-site for one of the first modern PRT networks in the world. Various Industry leaders, International PRT NGOs, and even other US city Mayors are already supporting Connect Ithaca and its effort to situate Ithaca, NY and Tompkins County as the testing, development and manufacturing hub of the first major North American PRT network. Very exciting, indeed! Because of this surprisingly focused interest in our locality and its potential, things are moving quickly on our end. *Christer Lindstrom*, a Podcar City Conference organizer and member of the Sustainable Transportation Fund will be breaking from his original itinerary between Los Angeles and Washington DC to visit with Connect Ithaca on *November 6 and 7*to meet with key stakeholders in our community. He will also be speaking at our presentation at Kauffman Auditorm. His visit has two purposes. He is interested in learning about our City, the region, its academic expertise, industrial capacity and leadership focus; and, as a globally renowned PRT expert and educator, he is making time to meet with individuals and groups that wish to learn more about this promising new transportation technology and the many benefits it would provide our society, environment and economy. This is a great opportunity to learn about a new technology (although 30+ years in development!) that has the potential to greatly reduce negative impacts on the earth AND increase our overall quality of life! Please join us on the 6th, share this email and help spread the word. Warmest regards, Jacob Alan Roberts Chair, Connect Ithaca
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