Directors' Statement
In 2009, an era of excitement swept over North America as President Obama announced United
States’ commitment to bringing high-speed rail to America. Since then, the realities of the
economic recession and its political repercussions have made this a slow process.
Washington State, in particular, quickly saw the potential. Along with accepting its own federal
funding for the high-speed rail stimulus, Governor Christine Gregoire also received funding
awarded to Wisconsin and Florida state when they refused it.
Stretching from Eugene, OR, to Vancouver, BC, the Cascadia Corridor is one of the proposed lines to receive high-speed rail.
Noting the vast political, economic, and social problems surrounding the installation of high-speed rail in the Pacific Northwest, we wanted to investigate the possibilities of its future. A group of us gathered together to discuss ideas of how to even go about exploring such a
complex issue. The five of us, all students at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma and members of MediaLab, were to become the co-directors of “Sidetracked: Redefining Rail.”
Production began in early 2011 and has continued for almost a year and a half. We traveled the corridor to Portland, OR and Vancouver, BC, And consulted countless politicians including WA Senator Mary Margaret Haugen, OR Representative Nancy Nathanson, WA Representative John McCoy, and Vancouver City Councillor Geoff Meggs, as well as prominent intellectuals in the field, such as Bruce Agnew at the Discovery Institute in Seattle, WA and Dr. Anthony Perl at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, BC.
Our research has shown us that while the region is composed of two separate countries, the United States and Canada are inherently more similar and connected than some may like to admit. Improved rail service along the Cascadia Corridor would open new economic, social, and
political opportunities not only in the towns it would serve, but also between the two countries that share the world’s longest border.
After over a year of research, countless miles spent along the Cascadia Corridor, and much time and thought, we bring you the end result: “Sidetracked: Redefining Rail.”
JuliAnne Rose | Linnea Anderson | Theodore Charles | Annika Carow | Jacob Ooley
States’ commitment to bringing high-speed rail to America. Since then, the realities of the
economic recession and its political repercussions have made this a slow process.
Washington State, in particular, quickly saw the potential. Along with accepting its own federal
funding for the high-speed rail stimulus, Governor Christine Gregoire also received funding
awarded to Wisconsin and Florida state when they refused it.
Stretching from Eugene, OR, to Vancouver, BC, the Cascadia Corridor is one of the proposed lines to receive high-speed rail.
Noting the vast political, economic, and social problems surrounding the installation of high-speed rail in the Pacific Northwest, we wanted to investigate the possibilities of its future. A group of us gathered together to discuss ideas of how to even go about exploring such a
complex issue. The five of us, all students at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma and members of MediaLab, were to become the co-directors of “Sidetracked: Redefining Rail.”
Production began in early 2011 and has continued for almost a year and a half. We traveled the corridor to Portland, OR and Vancouver, BC, And consulted countless politicians including WA Senator Mary Margaret Haugen, OR Representative Nancy Nathanson, WA Representative John McCoy, and Vancouver City Councillor Geoff Meggs, as well as prominent intellectuals in the field, such as Bruce Agnew at the Discovery Institute in Seattle, WA and Dr. Anthony Perl at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, BC.
Our research has shown us that while the region is composed of two separate countries, the United States and Canada are inherently more similar and connected than some may like to admit. Improved rail service along the Cascadia Corridor would open new economic, social, and
political opportunities not only in the towns it would serve, but also between the two countries that share the world’s longest border.
After over a year of research, countless miles spent along the Cascadia Corridor, and much time and thought, we bring you the end result: “Sidetracked: Redefining Rail.”
JuliAnne Rose | Linnea Anderson | Theodore Charles | Annika Carow | Jacob Ooley