Dan Bilka

Dan Bilka

Co-Founder & President, All Aboard Northwest
Coordinator, Greater Northwest Passenger Rail Coalition
Vice-Chair, Rail Passengers Association

"A rising star in passenger rail advocacy, Dan is a board Vice-Chair with the Rail Passengers Association. He holds his master’s in architecture from South Dakota State University and is working on architectural licensure. Dan was in the pilot class of the Department of Architecture, gaining first-hand experience in establishing new programs, what is required to succeed, and how to react to sudden changes. He has been involved with rail advocacy and public discourse since 2013. He has been involved in multi-million dollar projects from schematic design through construction administration and close-out.

As a Workshop participant in the Federal Railroad Administration Long-Distance Service Study, Dan has been instrumental for getting South Dakota, the only state of the contiguous 48 never to have had Amtrak service, included in the final report.

Dozens of letters and resolutions supporting passenger rail are due to his efforts, persistence, and collaborative approach. His efforts and broad regional approach are gaining traction where previously people have not been considered for passenger rail in the Amtrak era.

Nothing exemplifies that more than his slogan: "People live here!."