Eastern Shore Future Transit

Eastern Shore Explores the Future for Transit and the Bay Bridge

Held on November 7^, 2008 at Chesapeake College, ESLC’s 10^th Annual Planning Conference, Where are the Eastern Shore’s Road Taking Us?, was a coalescing of 150 leaders from the region and across the country, to spark collaborative exchange, problem solving and discovery about one of the most powerful forces on our Eastern Shore landscape and community: regional transportation planning.

Featured were:

• Welcoming remarks from the Secretary for Maryland’s Department of Transportation, John Porcari.

• Keynote presentation by Reid Ewing of the National Center for Smart Growth Education and Research. Ewing provided a look into how global climate change, a changing economy, rising gas prices and shifting housing market demands are creating a new paradigm for transportation and land use planning.

• To round out the morning, a panel presented What is our plan for transportation on the Shore? This panel questioned the current relevance of long-held models of transportation and land planning policies--built on abundant fossil fuels, post-WWII ideals, and changing population demographics.

• The afternoon was kicked off with a panel focusing on What are our Solutions for the Chesapeake Bay Bridge? The construction of the Bay bridges indelibly shaped the landscape and lives of the Eastern Shore. As we look for ways to care for and make the most of our existing infrastructure, the panel explored the possibilities for the future.

• Lastly, we wrapped up the conference with a facilitated group discussion to draw out transportation priorities most important to the future of the Eastern Shore.

Want to learn more? Click here to download presentations and to view video clips from the conference.