Angela Schwarz leads the efforts to strengthen WSP’s nationwide footprint across the transit and rail markets. 

Schwarz joined WSP in 2021 as the national transit and rail systems practice leader, bringing with her 30 years of experience in transit systems engineering and delivery. Her responsibilities include advancing strategic partnerships with transit agencies, industry associations, and contractors, while ensuring the success of high-profile planning, design, and construction management initiatives.

METRO recently spoke to Schwarz about the top operational challenges facing public transit agencies today, how firms like WSP are helping to address them, the ongoing pressure to reduce costs per passenger, bus automation, and more. 

Operational Challenges Facing Agencies, Delivering Projects

What are the most significant operational challenges facing public transit agencies today, and how can firms like WSP help to solve them?

Public transit agencies face several significant operational challenges, including:

• Aging Infrastructure: Aging infrastructure can reduce performance and minimize system availability. Firms like WSP can implement reliability-based maintenance strategies to enhance system performance. 

• Increased Cost to Deliver Capital Projects in an Operational Condition: Delivering capital projects while maintaining operational conditions can be costly. WSP develops construction staging scenarios to optimize project delivery. For instance, in the SANDAG Blue and Orange Lines project, WSP used modeling to develop and test temporary infrastructure for single tracking during rail replacement and platform replacement to accommodate new, longer trains with low-level boarding. This approach helped complete the project six months ahead of schedule.

• Optimizing the Cost per Passenger:  Reducing labor costs while maintaining efficient operations is challenging. Increased automation can help optimize costs. WSP's work on the Cap Metro Automated Bus Yard demonstrates this: automated buses can self-drive to designated areas, reducing pull-in and pull-out time requirements. This efficiency allows labor hours to be repurposed or savings to be reinvested.

What role could public-private partnerships play in expanding transit infrastructure?

Collaborative public-private procurement has the potential to accelerate the expansion of transit infrastructure and enhance economic and social value. 

However, it must be supported by incentives that encourage private investment. A great example is the ONE Central mixed-use project by Landmark Development, for which the State of Illinois enacted legislation to support in 2019. 

Located on the Near South Side of Chicago, the various residential, retail, and commercial spaces are anchored by a multimodal transit hub that will connect a few transit systems. The project is proposed to occupy approximately 32 acres of rail yards between the McCormick Place Convention Center and the Museum Campus. 

Integrating these transit options aims to improve accessibility and reduce congestion, making it easier for residents and visitors to navigate the city.

Taking Lessons from Around the World, Looking Ahead

What lessons can we learn from global transit systems successfully integrating innovative technology?

One example is driverless train initiatives using autonomous vehicles, which have become a global trend. In partnership with technological organizations, WSP led a ground-breaking pilot of autonomous freight trains aiming to revolutionize short-distance transportation from industrial sites in Finland. It showcases the benefits of automation in reducing labor costs and improving operational reliability.

What does the future of public transit look like in 10 to 20 years?

The development of advanced technologies will transform the future of public transportation. 

Artificial Intelligence is revolutionizing how agencies analyze traffic patterns, engage with communities, and predict and manage asset maintenance. We will see a higher level of automation for buses and trains, enabling public transit to operate and adjust services in real time based on demand. New constructions will embrace a low-carbon approach from the outset. 

The development of biofuel, battery, and hydrogen fuel cell technology presents new options that can support the transition to lower-carbon emissions for transit vehicles in the short, medium, and long term.