For Immediate Release
November 18, 2008

Public Policy Lecture Series about Sustainable Development in Southern California tackles public transportation issues in 'post-automobile' society

RIVERSIDE, CALIF – Eric Haley, who has served publicly for 34 years to improve California transportation, will speak about the future of public transit in a "post-automobile" society at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2 at UCR Extension Center, 1200 University Ave., Riverside. The lecture, which is the fifth in a series of six lectures about sustainable development in Southern California, is open to the public as well as those pursuing a UCR Extension Certificate in Sustainable Development and Green Design.

Haley, the former executive director of the Riverside County Transportation Commission who successfully managed the completion of the reconstruction of the 215/91/60 Interchange, is now focusing his efforts on encouraging California to move away from petroleum-based fuels to cleaner alternatives.

"The question remains – is any kind of public transit going to be effective in Southern California? Where mass transit works best is in old cities, not post-automobile cities like Los Angeles, Houston or Phoenix." said Andrew McCue, chief instructor in Extension's Sustainable Development Certificate Program and founding manager director of the Center for Sustainable Suburban Development at UCR.

The future of transportation is a hot topic. California voters recently said "yea" to $10 billion in bonds to finance a bullet train that will link Los Angeles to San Francisco. At the same time, the big three American automakers – General Motors, Ford and Chrysler – are seeking $25 billion in taxpayers' dollars to bail them out of potential bankruptcy.

"Things need to change," McCue said. "We have to find ways to deal with things better."

The next lecture in the Public Policy Lecture Series: Sustainability Issues in Southern California features Norm King, founding director of the Leonard Transportation Center and former executive director of San Bernardino Associated Governments. King will talk about the "Financing of Public Services" from 6 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 9 at the UCR Extension Center, 1200 University Ave., Riverside.

The fee for each lecture is $35 (includes parking).

The Public Policy Lecture Series is offered in cooperation with the UCR Blakely Center on Sustainable and Suburban Development. The Public Policy Lecture Series is a core course requirement toward earning a Certificate in Sustainable Development and Green Design.

For information about the Certificate in Sustainable Development and Green Design or any of its courses, please call (951) 827-5804 or e-mail sciences@ucx.ucr.edu. To register for classes, visit www.extension.ucr.edu or call (951) 827-4105. To receive a free UCR Extension catalog, which includes a complete listing of all our current courses and certificate programs, call (951) 827-3806.

UCR Extension is the continuing education division of the University of California, Riverside. Extension offers more than 1,800 courses and certificate programs in a variety of academic programs, including agriculture and landscape, arts and humanities, business and management, education, teacher's credentialing, English, environmental management, geospatial analysis and technology, health services and behavioral sciences, information technology, languages, law and public policy, Native American studies, natural sciences, forensic investigations and public safety, and yoga.