For immediate release

Contact: Daneil Mazone, Media Relations, 215-574-7163

Philadelphia – Improving access to transit is the focus of the Northeast Pennsylvania Equitable Transit Summit, a conference to be hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia and the Scranton Area Community Foundation on October 17 at the Hilton Scranton & Conference Center. Click here to view the agenda.

Plenary and breakout sessions will highlight strategies and solutions to transform transportation systems to better connect people to jobs, affordable housing, quality health care, education, and other services.

This conference will connect business leaders, government representatives, public transportation officials, planners, nonprofit leaders, researchers, funders, and others to discuss enhancing transit access in northeastern Pennsylvania while highlighting successful models in other parts of the country.

“Transportation is a critical aspect of economic mobility for residents and for regional economic growth,” said Patrick T. Harker, president and chief executive officer at the Philadelphia Fed. “People need access to affordable and reliable transportation that can get them to the jobs that are available in their communities and reach their full potential.”

Conference speakers will include:

  • Roger Cohen, policy director, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
  • Laura Ducceschi, president and chief executive officer, Scranton Area Foundation
  • Bob Fiume, executive director, County of Lackawanna Transit System (COLTS)
  • Stephanie Gidigbi, SPARCC Policy, Capacity, and Systems change director and senior adviser, Urban Solutions, NRDC
  • Patrick T. Harker, president and chief executive officer, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia
  • Patrick Jordan, senior director, Enterprise Advisors, Enterprise Community Partners, Inc.
  • Alex Karner, assistant professor, Graduate Program in Community and Regional Planning, The University of Texas at Austin
  • Creighton Randall, program and development director, Shared-Use Mobility Center
  • Katherine Robb, policy analyst, Environmental Health, Center for Public Health Policy, American Public Health Association

“The conference stems from a series of meetings that began earlier in the year and brought together more than 50 leaders to create an Equitable Transit Council,” according to Laura Ducceschi, president and chief executive officer of the Scranton Area Foundation. “Our goal is to foster an inclusive dialogue, which will enable us to better understand the specific impediments of current transportation systems and to explore opportunities for improvement.”

Conference Details

When: October 17

Where: Hilton Scranton & Conference Center, 100 Adams Ave., Scranton, PA 18503

Registration: Media members are required to register by contacting Daneil Mazone at daneil.mazone@phil.frb.org or 215-574-7163.