Panelist Bud Griffis says, “What we need is a new transit system.” Bud Griffis, Director of Poly’s Center for Construction Management, was a panelist at a recent conference at Iona College to discuss the nation’s infrastructure. The impetus for the conference was the sudden collapse of a Minneapolis bridge in August 2007 that killed 13 people.
Rob Varnon of the Connecticut Post reported on the conference. His article “Panelists map out infrastructure ideas” includes some of Bud’s comments. Below is an excerpt.
Panelist Bud Griffis said it is vital to deal with [infrastructure] issues on more than one front, especially on energy.
“You’re going to look back and say ‘I remember when I paid $10 a gallon for gasoline,’ ” said Griffis, a retired colonel in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and director of Polytechnic University’s Center for Construction Management. Because oil is a finite commodity, the price will continue to rise, so the U.S. needs to find a new source of energy, he said.
Some at the conference suggested building new nuclear power plants.
Griffis pointed out problems and made a suggestion.
“What we need is a new transit system,” he said. He proposed creating a high-speed regional train system to eliminate congestion at airports.