Transit - connecting people with opportunities and places
At a glance
A few months back, we welcomed Justin Wheeler to GHD. For the better part of two decades, Justin has spent his career in the rail and transit industry. He recently devoted some time to answering a few questions for us as he continues to build a thriving rail and transit team for GHD in the US West region. Here is what he had to say.
In your opinion, what is the current Transit state in the western United States?
It is a great time to be in the industry with so much opportunity. We are on the verge of a once-in-a-generation funding package (IIJA) with a huge emphasis on improving inner city rail and urban rail. Another significant aspect of this funding package is an initiative called Justice 40, which means that 40% of the investment must go to historically underserved and disadvantaged communities. This is an opportunity to truly implement transit projects to benefit a greater cross-section of our communities. To me, that is the exciting part. We not only have an opportunity to do business, but at the same time, we can really impact our communities by connecting people with opportunities and places. When comparing the US with the rest of the world, we have a lot of catching up to do to be along the same lines as Europe or Asia.
What challenges do you foresee with accessing the funding and moving on projects quickly?
Now that we are seeing unprecedented funding for transit agencies, it’s about programming that money into projects and working with our clients to understand their needs and what the impacts of Justice 40 will be. It could be significant in how we plan and deliver projects, not just future projects but current projects already in the pipeline. The other immediate challenge agencies are grappling with is all that money must get programmed right now and diverting these funds into projects is a challenge. That is where we can help our clients oversee large programs in the western U.S.
Another inherent challenge pertains to jurisdictional permitting. Public agencies often construct projects in other jurisdictions where they do not have permitting authority or leverage to move these projects forward. Another way GHD can help is by leveraging our strong local presence with agencies throughout California, Washington and Arizona to streamline project delivery. We have strong local relationships that can help get the right applications and approvals processed, one of the most challenging aspects of these projects. Not only are the technical nuances important, but the facilitation of communication amongst stakeholders is key to the success of a project.
There will be a significant shift in transit. Delivering the amount of investment will be very challenging and there are not enough people to deliver the work. This gives agencies an opportunity to work with other well-qualified firms, and we can bring a lot of resources to that area. We bring global perspective, lessons learned, and best practices gained from decades of experience to truly develop world-class infrastructure here in this country.
Can you touch on ridership challenges in the wake of Covid and recovery?
I think this part of the world’s past & planned transit investment was essentially written off at one point in the pandemic, especially commuter rail, due to low ridership. At the time, some agencies were even entertaining selling portions of their real estate, thinking this was the end for them. However, public agencies throughout the western U.S. have done a fantastic job re-running their financial models and realigning their programs to mirror the cash flow. Not to mention the incredible work pivoting to serve the communities in the new normal we were all facing.
I think this part of the world’s past & planned transit investment was essentially written off at one point in the pandemic, especially commuter rail, due to low ridership. At the time, some agencies were even entertaining selling portions of their real estate, thinking this was the end for them. However, public agencies throughout the western U.S. have done a fantastic job re-running their financial models and realigning their programs to mirror the cash flow. Not to mention the incredible work pivoting to serve the communities in the new normal we were all facing.
The reality of this new environment we are in, where we have fewer people commuting into cities every day, will change as our economy continues to open and there's more of a hybrid work model. Ridership will continue to increase commensurate with the return to office plans and new hybrid work policies.
How do you feel about the rail and transit industry's future and how it contributes to reducing the effects of climate change?
One of the cool things about the rail and transit industry is that it is inherently sustainable. Most of the light rail properties being operated with overhead catenary systems reduce diesel emissions across the board. The more people utilizing transit takes cars off the roads and has an obvious tangible benefit to our ecosystem. In the projects I’ve worked on personally, it felt good to be able to make my stamp on the environment.
The future is very optimistic now and commuter rail, light rail, rapid transit and buses will continue to play an integral part in driving our economy.
What piqued your interest in the Rail and Transit industry and what keeps you going?
Growing up in Nebraska, we had zero transit systems. The idea was novel. In high school, I had the opportunity to travel to Spain and had a very eye-opening experience witnessing firsthand the effects of a well-functioning transit system in the community. I was amazed how transit influenced development where people came first and connected people with places and opportunities. So, at 18 years old, I packed up my car and drove to Arizona to attend college and graduate with a civil engineering degree. After that, the first seven years of my career were spent working on a brand-new light rail system in Phoenix - I was hooked. It completely transformed a once sleepy urban area into a bustling core packed with restaurants and people. I can’t think of another form of transportation that is so transformative.
The most rewarding part of my career is seeing tangible evidence of years of planning, design and construction. It is so multi-disciplined; it takes a team from every imaginable discipline to deliver these very complex and costly projects. It’s provided me an opportunity as a project manager to become a jack of all trades, understanding the business in a way that I probably wouldn't have if I was not in this industry.
What brought you to GHD and what goals and aspirations do you have for the Rail and Transit business?
One thing that attracted me to GHD is that we are at the forefront of future energy. We are leaders in alternative energy and can employ so many innovative strategies in the rail & transit market. I believe we're uniquely positioned to be great partners with transit agencies to help them realize their sustainability ambitions. Additionally, as a business, our focus will be on fostering strategic teaming relationships to capitalize on this once-in-a-generation opportunity. We have all the pieces of the puzzle and a broad spectrum of established disciplines to deliver transit projects across the western U.S.
We are a people company. Some of the best advice I ever received is you can never grow complacent as a supervisor or a leader, and we can never let go of the basics. We always need to keep our succession plans up to date, and people need to know their path and train their next replacement. Our vision is to be the technical authority and an employer of choice. There is so much opportunity here and we are backed by 12,000 Global experts that we can bring to the table.