The Eno Center for Transportation

Success Factors in Private Contracting for Public Transportation
2024-09-25 14:00 - 14:45 (America/New_York)
Service contracting is a tool that public transit agencies can use to deliver transit services for riders. Contracting is widely employed in the United States; nearly two-thirds of transit agencies already contract all or part of their operations. When contracting is implemented effectively and strategically, it can yield service improvements that benefit the riding public and, in some cases, lower costs. It can enable governance overhauls whose impacts may go far beyond increased service reliability by creating more adaptable, sustainable public institutions.
Transit agencies are facing unprecedented challenges including lower ridership, declining revenues, higher costs, intense competition, and workforce management issues. In response, transit agencies are exploring new and innovative ways to engage with private partners to address these challenges.
This webinar will feature public and private stakeholders to discuss success factors for transit service contracting, given the current context. To read more on this topic, see Eno’s recent paper on Success Factors in Private Contracting for Public Transportation.

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Decoding the 2024 Election: What it Means for Transportation in America
2024-11-08 14:00 - 15:00 | https://enotrans.org/events/decoding-the-2024-election-what-it-means-for-transportation-in-america/
On Tuesday, November 5th, 2024, America chose its next President. Are you wondering how the results will shape America’s transportation future?
Join transportation policy experts Jeff Davis and Sohail Husain as they unpack the implications of the 2024 election results. From key ballot measures to congressional shakeups, we’ll explore what these outcomes mean for infrastructure and mobility across the nation. We’ll cover the results of key transportation ballot initiatives, how leadership of critical transportation committees might shake out, and potential shifts in federal policy and funding
Whether you’re a policymaker, congressional staffer, industry leader, or government affairs professional, this webinar will equip you with the insights needed to navigate the road ahead.
See Eno’s Transportation at the Ballot Box work in our Research Library.
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2025 Leadership Awards
2025-01-08 18:00 - 21:00 | Kimpton Hotel Monaco, 700 F St NW, Washington, DC, 20004, United States
Save the Date: January 8, 2025!
The Eno Leadership Awards Reception is a key event for professionals in the transportation sector. It offers a unique opportunity to connect with decision-makers from both the public and private sectors and to recognize those who have made significant contributions to the industry.
🤝 Networking: Engage with leaders and peers across the transportation field, fostering connections that can drive progress and innovation.
🏅 Leadership Awards: Honor the individuals whose work has shaped and advanced the transportation industry.
Secure your spot and be part of this important evening.
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Stay tuned—The 2025 Leadership Awardees will be announced soon.

Estimating Transportation Costs with Confidence: Lessons from the Experts
2025-02-12 14:00 - 14:45 | https://enotrans.org/events/estimating-transportation-costs-with-confidence-lessons-from-the-experts/
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Benefits and Beneficiaries of the Nation's Inland Waterways
2025-02-26 13:30 - 14:30 | https://enotrans.org/events/benefits-and-beneficiaries-of-the-nations-inland-waterways/
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Webinar: How Chief Information and Technology Officers are Transforming Transportation
2025-04-17 13:00 - 14:00 | https://enotrans.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Fs656BGFQb2g5lTFB8f8tA

Webinar: Harnessing AI’s Power at Transportation Agencies
2025-06-02 14:00 - 14:45 | https://enotrans.org/events/webinar-harnessing-ais-power-at-transportation-agencies/

Transportation Trivia Night
2025-06-10 18:00 - 21:00 | Walter’s Sports Bar and Restaurant, 10 N St SE, Washington, DC, 20003, United States
Test Your Knowledge. Meet Your People. Support the Future of Transportation.
Join us for Transportation Trivia Night, a lively evening of brain-teasing questions, unexpected facts, and friendly competition, hosted by Eno’s own VP of Policy Rebecca Higgins, with some of the sharpest minds in transportation. Whether you’re a policy wonk, planning pro, or just love a good challenge, this event is for you.
Trivia Night is more than just fun—it’s also a networking event in support of the Leaders Development Conference (LDC), Eno’s flagship program that brings together some of the nation’s top graduate students in transportation for a week-long, intensive experience in policy, leadership, and professional development.
As part of your registration, you’ll have the opportunity to make an optional donation to the Fellows Fund, which supports scholarships for future LDC participants. Every gift helps make this career-shaping program accessible to the next generation of transportation leaders.
So come for the trivia, stay for the connections—and help shape the future of the field along the way.

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Webinar: How Great Managers Deliver High-Stakes Transportation Projects
2025-06-23 14:00 - 14:45 | https://enotrans.org/events/webinar-how-great-managers-deliver-high-stakes-transportation-projects/

Responding to Policy Changes and Preparing for Reauthorization
2025-10-10 14:00 - 14:45 | https://enotrans.org/events/responding-to-policy-changes-and-preparing-for-reauthorization/
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The recording of the webinar is posted above. You can see the slides referenced in the webinar here.
Webinar Overview and Participants:
Advocates for pedestrian, bicycle, and transit programs have been responding to dramatic policy shifts at the US Department of Transportation this year. The Trump administration has changed regulations and executive orders, reduced agency staffing levels, terminated grant programs, and shifted funding priorities.
The American Public Transportation Association, Transportation for America, and America Walks have been educating officials at all levels of government about existing programs. They are also helping shape the debate in Congress as it considers reauthorizing the five-year federal transportation law, which expires in September 2026.
In this webinar, leaders from the three organizations will share their concerns, strategies, and hopes regarding federal transportation policies.
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Panelists:
Ward W. McCarragher

Ward McCarragher manages APTA’s lobbying efforts on federal legislative issues that affect the public transit and passenger rail industry on Capitol Hill. In that capacity, he oversees industry efforts on the federal budget, the annual appropriations process, multi-year surface transportation authorization bills, and security, tax, energy and environmental legislation and measures that affect public transit, commuter, and intercity passenger rail service, including high-speed rail.
Before joining APTA in 2018, McCarragher served as Chief Counsel for the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for 20 years. In this role, he was directly involved in negotiating, drafting, and supporting each of the public transit and passenger rail titles of surface transportation authorization legislation, from the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA 21) to the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act).
Beth Osborne
Beth Osborne is the Interim President and CEO of Smart Growth America. She was previously at the U.S. Department of Transportation, where she served as the Acting Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy and the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy beginning in 2009.
At USDOT, Beth managed the TIGER Discretionary Grant program, the secretary’s livability initiative, the development of the Obama administration’s surface transportation authorization proposal, and the implementation of MAP-21. Before joining USDOT, Beth worked for Sen. Tom Carper (DE) as an advisor for transportation, trade, and labor policy, as the policy director for Smart Growth America and as legislative director for environmental policy at the Southern Governors’ Association. She began her career in Washington, DC in the House of Representatives working as a legislative assistant for Rep. Ron Klink (PA-04) and as legislative director for Rep. Brian Baird (WA-03).
Mike McGinn

Mike McGinn got his start in local politics as a neighborhood activist pushing for walkability. From there he founded a non-profit focused on sustainable and equitable growth, and then became mayor of Seattle. Just before joining America Walks, Mike worked to help Feet First, Washington State’s walking advocacy organization, expand their sphere of influence across Washington state. He has worked on numerous public education, legislative, ballot measures and election campaigns – which has given him an abiding faith in the power of organizing and volunteers to create change. He is delighted that his role at America Walks allows him to work with so many community leaders and champions across the country.

Freight Rail for the 21st Century: Opportunities for Mode Shift to Improve Efficiency and Resiliency
2025-10-23 12:00 - 13:00 | https://enotrans.org/events/freight-rail-for-the-21st-century-opportunities-for-mode-shift-to-improve-efficiency-and-resiliency/
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In July 2025, the Eno Center issued a report entitled “Freight Rail for the 21st Century: Opportunities for Mode Shift to Improve Efficiency and Resiliency.” The main objective of the report was to provide policymakers and industry professionals with a resource including analyses and strategies to improve freight rail policy, with a specific focus on improving efficiency and resiliency.
In this webinar, experts from across the rail industry will provide their insights, concerns, and strategies for improving resiliency and efficiency in the freight rail sector with the hopes of ensuring its value as a competitive mode within the larger freight transportation network.
The webinar will feature two speakers: Chuck Baker, from the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association, Luisa Fernandez-Willey, from Canadian National Railways. Henry Posner III, from the Railroad Development Corporation and Iowa Interstate Railroad will be a co-moderator for this webinar, helping to guide the discussion.
Panelists:
Chuck Baker
Chuck Baker joined ASLRRA as President after a 15-year career in the railroad industry. Before joining ASLRRA he was a Partner at Chambers Conlon & Hartwell (CC&H), where, in addition to the ASLRRA, he represented clients such as the National Railroad Construction & Maintenance Association (NRC), the OneRail Coalition, the American Railway Development Association, Norfolk Southern, and Canadian National. For the NRC, Chuck also served as its President. In that capacity, he had responsibility for the association’s core financial, operational, and legal programs, including the federal legislative and regulatory program in front of both Congress and the Administration. For the OneRail Coalition, a coalition of freight rail, intercity passenger rail, commuter rail, rail labor, and rail supply industry interests, Chuck coordinated the group’s activities and messaging. Prior to joining CC&H, he worked with the Surface Transportation Policy Project in Washington, D.C. Chuck has also worked for Deutsche Bank Securities as an investment banker specializing in Corporate Finance and Mergers & Acquisitions in San Francisco, CA. Chuck is a native of Baltimore, MD, and a graduate of Rice University in Houston, TX.
Luisa Fernandez-Willey
Luisa Fernandez-Willey is the Principal Economist at Canadian National Railway (CN). She leads economic analyses and research on the North American transportation market and provides insights to support strategic decision-making for CN. Her railway experience encompasses the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Prior to joining CN, Luisa was the Assistant Vice President in the Policy & Economics Department at the Association of American Railroads (AAR), where she contributed to shaping regulatory discourse and building strategic partnerships within the industry. Some of her accomplishments at AAR include leading successful negotiations with the Servicio de Administración Tributaria, the regulatory body for Mexican railroads. She also designed, developed, and implemented Orrin, a data platform that provides a centralized location for data visualizations and downloads. Before the AAR, she provided financial management consulting to private-sector clients and conducted economic research for the Maryland state government. She also served as a university lecturer and published scholarly research in a peer reviewed international academic journal. Luisa holds an M.Sc. in Business and Economic Forecasting from Kingston University-London and an M.A. in Economics from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She has also completed Michigan State University’s Railway Management Certification Program.
Moderators:
Henry Posner
A lifetime railway activist, Henry Posner held positions with Amtrak, The Official Railway Guide and the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad during his college years. He entered full-time railway service at Conrail in 1977, serving the Operating, Marketing and Sales departments in Detroit, New York, and Philadelphia.
He serves as Chairman of RDC, which he founded in 1987 with his partner Bob Pietrandrea, who retired in 2022. He also serves as Chairman of Iowa Interstate Railroad; RDC-Deutschland; EuroRail; and family investment firm The Hawthorne Group.
He serves as President of the EBT Foundation, a nonprofit organization formed to restore and operate the East Broad Top Railroad; Iowa Interstate’s alternate director at the Association of American Railroads; Co-Chair of the Surface Transportation Board Passenger Rail Advisory Committee (PRAC); and a member of the Transportation Research Board’s Agriculture and Food Transport Subcommittee.
A graduate of Princeton University (BS-Civil Engineering), Mr. Posner also holds an MBA in Finance from the Wharton School. He teaches undergraduate courses on rail deregulation and privatization at Carnegie Mellon University’s, Pittsburgh and Qatar campuses, and has taught a graduate module at the Denver Transportation Institute. He has lectured and published extensively on railway matters and was a contributor to the book Railway Transformation, published in 2010 by Eurail Press under the auspices of the Community of European Railways.
He serves as a board member of the Independent School Chairpersons’ Association, and as an Emeritus Trustee and former President of the Winchester Thurston School.
His philanthropic activities include serving as the Chairman of the Posner Foundation, whose activities have ranged from support of the Jewish community in the Former Soviet Union to Operation Lifesaver. He was named among “75 People You Should Know” by TRAINS magazine for their 75th Anniversary; is the recipient of a Paul Harris Fellowship from Rotary International for his work in Guatemala; and is an occasional contributor to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on regional affairs. His collection of railroad photography, spanning four decades, was recently made available through the Center for Railroad Photography & Art.
He writes haiku and speaks English, Spanish, French and Russian.
Sohail Husain, Policy Analyst, Eno Center for Transportation

Rising Construction Costs: Implications for Reauthorization
2025-11-06 14:00 - 14:45 | https://enotrans.org/events/rising-construction-costs-implications-for-reauthorization/
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Since the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) in 2021, there has been significant growth in highway construction costs. Potential factors for cost escalations include supply chain disruptions, materials and inputs costs, labor market shortages, demand side increases, number of bidders on projects, state capacity and reliance on consultants, borrowing costs, regulatory costs, and higher quality projects.
In August 2025, the Eno Center issued a whitepaper entitled “Rising Construction Costs: Analyzing the Contributors to Cost Escalations and the Impact on Federal Transportation Infrastructure Investments,” exploring competing cost indices, long-term construction cost trends, contributing factors to cost escalations, the impact on federal infrastructure investments, and implications for future transportation funding.
This webinar will feature two speakers: Susan Howard, from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and Dr. Alison Premo Black, from the American Road & Transportation Builders Association. The panelists will discuss how rising construction costs have impacted their members and how increased costs are influencing their advocacy efforts heading into surface transportation reauthorization.
Panelists:
Susan Howard is the Director of Policy and Government Relations at the American Association of State and Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO). At AASHTO, she serves as key liaison between state transportation departments, Congress, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and other national organizations. She has previously served as AASHTO’s Program Director for Transportation Finance and Program Manager for Freight. She has also previously worked as the Director of Government Relations for the National Association of Development Organizations, as the Federal Programs Coordinator for the North Carolina Department of Transportation, and as a Legislative Assistant on Capitol Hill.

Dr. Alison Premo Black is the Senior Vice President & Chief Economist at the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA). At ARTBA, she has led the development of over 100 studies on national and state transportation funding and investment patterns. She additionally oversees ARTBA’s membership development and relations and manages the Transportation Investment Advocacy Center program. Before joining ARBTA in 2000, Black worked as a researcher with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea and with the Organization of American States. She is regularly featured as an industry expert in national and local media and publications.

Moderator:
Grace Truslow, Policy Analyst, Eno Center for Transportation

Ask Me Anything: Find Your Fit with Eno's Leadership Programs
2025-12-10 13:30 - 14:30 | https://enotrans.org/events/ask-me-anything-find-your-fit-with-enos-leadership-programs/
Join us for an interactive overview of Eno’s 2026 slate of professional development programs. This year’s programs will include the Leaders Development Conference, Transportation Mid-Manager, and Transportation Senior Executive. This session is your opportunity to learn more about Eno’s mission, explore our suite of leadership programs, and discover which one best aligns with your career goals and stage of professional growth. We’ll highlight each program’s focus, format, and key dates and answer your questions live during this engaging, one-hour session.
Presenter
Kirstin Hall, Senior Manager, Training & Professional Development – The Eno Center for Transportation

Kirstin was born and raised in Southern California, where she developed a strong interest in civic engagement, social justice, and local politics from an early age. She went on to earn a B.A. in Political Science from Johnson C. Smith University and an M.A. in Political Communication from American University.
Before joining Eno, Kirstin worked in the gun violence prevention movement, managing programs and operations for the Community Justice Action Fund in Washington, DC. She brings a deep commitment to equity and public service to all of her work.
With Eno, Kirstin oversees and manages the suite of professional development programs – primarily focused on Transportation Mid-Manager, Transportation Mid-Manager², and Transportation Senior Executive.
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Looking Down the Tracks: A Case for More Predictable Intercity Passenger Rail Funding
2026-03-13 13:00 - 14:00 | https://enotrans.org/events/looking-down-the-tracks-a-case-for-more-predictable-intercity-passenger-rail-funding/
When the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) expires in September 2026, federal funding for intercity passenger rail could revert to the unstable, short-term model that historically defined the program.
For decades, federal support for Amtrak has relied primarily on annual appropriations without a dedicated revenue source — creating uncertainty for long-term planning, capital investment, and service expansion. The IIJA marked a significant shift, providing $66 billion for passenger rail over five years and introducing a more predictable federal commitment.
In the recent Eno report, Looking Down the Tracks: A Case for More Predictable Intercity Passenger Rail Funding, Rebecca Higgins examines the structural challenges of the past funding model and outlines a path toward a durable, long-term federal strategy. In this webinar, hosted by the High Speed Rail Alliance, Higgins shares Eno’s analysis and discusses how a more stable funding framework could improve efficiency, sustain ridership growth, and support investments befitting the growing importance of passenger rail in the national transportation system.
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FY27 Budget Breakdown: Impacts on Transportation Policy and Funding
2026-04-06 14:00 - 15:00 | https://enotrans.org/events/rr-budget-2027/
The Trump Administration released its fiscal 2027 budget request on Friday, which maintains nominal growth in certain transportation programs while allowing a massive effective cut to rail and other programs by not continuing the advance appropriations from IIJA. It also includes a massive increase for the Maritime Administration to lead the President’s shipbuilding initiative. What else is included in the budget, and what does it mean for reauthorization, or budget reconciliation plans? In this rapid response webinar for ETW subscribers only, Eno’s Jeff Davis breaks down the budget proposal and answers these questions and more.

Speaker:
Jeff Davis, Senior Fellow and Editor, Eno Center for Transportation

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Eno Hill Briefing: Fixing the Highway Trust Fund
2026-04-30 13:00 - 14:30 | Dirksen Senate Building, Room 562, 50 Constitution Ave NE, Washington, DC, 20006, United States
Join Jeff Davis and Rebecca Higgins for a staff briefing on challenges and solutions for transportation funding

This engaging in-person event will include light refreshments and answers to all your questions on the challenges and solutions surrounding the Highway Trust Fund. Eno’s Jeff Davis and Rebecca Higgins will share findings from their new report “The Last Exit: Fixing the Highway Trust Fund while Solvency is still Solvable.”
Whether you’re new to the field or a veteran of all nine trust fund bailouts, come discuss the options to truly address the revenues shortfalls, understand why it’s a problem for a trust fund to be underfunded, and consider the possibility that this time can and should be different.

Speaker:

Rebecca Higgins, Vice President of Policy, Eno Center for Transportation
Jeff Davis, Senior Fellow and Editor, Eno Center for Transportation

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