For those who have wondered how the railroad essentially bisected Reno for more than a century, causing citizens and city planners to wonder how go about their daily business, Mark Demuth might have the answer.

Demuth, a Reno planning consultant and graduate geography student in land use planning, will give a talk entitled, "Reno: Its Railroad, and the ReTRAC Project" from 4 to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 31, in Room 321 of the Mackay Science Hall. The talk is open to the public and is part of the Spring 2007 Department of Geography Colloquium Series.

After decades of wrangling over what to do about the railroad tracks downtown, the City of Reno embarked on its most expansive public works project ever, the ReTRAC project, which worked to lower the Union Pacific Railroad's tracks some 33 feet. Work on ReTRAC began in 2002 and was finished in spring 2006, though the project lives on through continued lively community discussion of its impact on downtown Reno.

"Mark has walked the walk, explored the walls, seen the archaeological excavations, and witnessed the momentous changes that have transformed Reno from a city controlled by the ebb and flow of rail traffic to one that has gained control over its downtown," said Paul Starrs, associate professor of geography. "It should be an excellent talk."

For more information, contact the Department of Geography at 784-6995.