In July 2021, the Northeast Corridor Commission released CONNECT NEC 2035 (C35), the most ambitious reinvestment program in the Northeast Corridor’s history and a new way of planning: a multi-agency, multi-year, shared action plan guided by a long-term vision. The state governments of the Northeast, the federal government, eight commuter rail agencies, and Amtrak came together through the Northeast Corridor Commission to develop C35, a plan to implement the first phase of the Federal Railroad Administration’s NEC FUTURE vision by outlining a detailed and efficient sequencing of infrastructure investments that can be constructed on an active and busy railroad over 15 years. Join us to learn more about C35, how it might be implemented, and the groundbreaking analytical approach used to allow project delivery sequencing to be driven by efficient use of track outages to maximize productivity and minimize service disruptions for customers.

Speakers:
Mitch Warren, Executive Director, Northeast Corridor Commission
Nicole Bucich, Director, Planning, Northeast Corridor Commission
Dennis Newman, Executive Vice President, Planning & Strategy, Amtrak
Rich Andreski, Bureau Chief for Public Transportation, State of Connecticut
Robert Puentes, President and CEO, Eno Center for Transportation

Watch the Recording:

Mitch Warren has been Executive Director of the Northeast Corridor Commission since 2011. In this role, he led the development of the first ever Northeast Corridor Commuter and Intercity Rail Cost Allocation Policy, which the Commission adopted in 2015. The Policy allocates over $1.3 billion in annual capital and operating costs and requires increased collaboration, transparency, and accountability among all stakeholders. Most recently, the Commission approved CONNECT NEC 2035, a collaboratively developed $117 billion, 15-year plan to rebuild and improve the Northeast Corridor.

Prior to the Commission, Mitch worked on transportation and budget issues in the United States Senate for over ten years, did government affairs at Amtrak, and worked in the private sector representing state departments of transportation and transit agencies. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and received a Masters in Public Affairs from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs.

Nicole Bucich has 30 years of experience in the transportation engineering and planning fields and is currently the Planning Director at the Northeast Corridor Commission. She is responsible for leading the development of CONNECT NEC 2035—a 15-year strategic development plan for the Northeast Corridor—through the creation and facilitation of a highly participatory, consensus-driven planning process among USDOT, Amtrak, and eight state/commuter railroads. Prior to joining the Commission in December 2018, Nicole spent the majority of career as a consultant focused on transportation projects in the New York City metropolitan area. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and her Master of Science degree in Transportation from MIT. She is also an adjunct professor at NYU’s Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.

Dennis Newman serves as Executive Vice President, Planning & Strategy. In this role, he oversees: Planning & Commercial Services; Infrastructure Access & Investment; Stations, Facilities, Properties, & Accessibility; Host Railroad Group; and Amtrak’s Gateway Program team, which is working in concert with the Gateway Development Commission and our partners to advance this critical infrastructure work. Dennis joined Amtrak in December 2017. His experience includes 17 years in the airline industry, at Northwest Airlines and Delta Airlines. Immediately prior to joining Amtrak, Dennis worked in the telecommunications industry at DISH Network, serving as Vice President, In-Home Services and then as Vice President, Sales. Dennis graduated from Princeton University with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering, majoring in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. He also holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the Tuck School at Dartmouth College.

Rich Andreski is Bureau Chief for Public Transportation for the State of Connecticut. In his 22-year career with NJ Transit and the Connecticut Department of Transportation, he has played critical roles in the development of rail and bus infrastructure in the greater New York metro area. In his role as bureau chief, Rich is responsible for the development of the statewide public transportation system including the Metro-North operated New Haven Line, the innovative CTfastrak bus rapid transit system, CTtransit services and Connecticut’s newest passenger rail line – Hartford Line. This statewide public transportation system serves more than 81 million people annually. Additionally, he oversees the state’s historic Connecticut River ferries and the regulation of taxi, livery and transportation network companies.