Reconnecting America President and CEO John Robert Smith, former four-term mayor of Meridian, Mississippi, will discuss "Promoting Rail Transit in America" on July 18 at the 65th Annual Meeting of the Southern Legislative Conference in Memphis, Tennessee.

From the conference program:

There has been renewed interest in recent years in promoting rail transit in the United States both at the federal and state levels. While promoting rail investments seems like a prudent strategy—ridership is surging; highways and airways are clogged; rail is significantly more energy efficient and cleaner; safer than automobiles; and the potential to be a tremendous economic development boost—the costs associated over a period of decades remain staggering. What are the optimal strategies to balance the sizable benefits of rail transit with the sobering reality of the huge costs involved? What are some of the approaches being pursued in states and localities around the country?