What IS Rail~Volution?

Rail~Volution is, first and foremost, a conference for passionate practitioners - people from all perspectives who believe strongly in the role of land use and transit as equal partners in the quest for greater livability and greater communities. You should attend the conference if you:

• Want to see your community adopt an innovative approach to transit and other alternative forms of transportation.
• Work in the private sector and want to have meaningful interactions with potential new clients.
• Work in the public sector and want to learn best practices along with colleagues from around the U.S. and beyond.
• Want to have a stronger voice in how your community plans for future growth.

Attending Rail~Volution is like being in the midst of a living, breathing laboratory where the best new ideas from around the country are introduced, tossed around with great fervor, researched and tested thoroughly, and then shared among like-minded colleagues. Expect to attend hands-on workshops that feature case studies and how-to discussions, symposia that provide in-depth explorations of issues facing every community, and inspiring plenary sessions that showcase some of the best livability minds in the country and the world. Attend Rail~Volution and you are guaranteed to return home with a palette of new ideas and a toolbox of new strategies for making your community more livable.

What is Rail~Volution's History?

Rail~Volution started in 1989 as a series of outreach and advocacy events geared towards developing real advocates for the Portland metropolitan region's MAX Light Rail System. At the conference in 1994, Congressman Earl Blumenauer (District 3, Oregon) announced that in 1995, Rail~Volution would become a national conference. From this point, Rail~Volution acted as a loose federation of sponsoring Partners and Affiliates, united by common interests and dedication. In the year 2000, the National Steering Committee realized the need for a more formal organization, and a strategic planner was brought in to assist this process. The National Steering Committee decided Rail~Volution should develop into a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization.