Brian Buchanan has joined HNTB's transit practice as a transit principal project manager and transit section manager.
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Brian Buchanan has joined HNTB's transit practice as a transit principal project manager and transit section manager.
Brian Buchanan has joined HDR's transit practice as a transit principal project manager and transit section manager. Based in San Antonio, Texas, he will focus on planning, directing and monitoring multi-discipline transit programs, while introducing emerging technologies such as autonomous vehicles and their associated infrastructure.
Prior to joining HDR, Buchanan served as senior VP of development for VIA Metropolitan Transit. As a member of the senior executive team, he was responsible for service and capital planning, capital engineering, and real estate acquisition and management.
Buchanan’s two-plus decades of experience includes managing long-range plans and strategic vision documents as well as leading large capital projects in multi-jurisdictional environments. He was involved in the planning, construction, start-up and testing, and revenue service for Valley Metro’s $1.4 billion Central Phoenix/East Valley light rail system (now known as METRO).
During his tenure there, he transitioned to the public sector and served as director of design and construction for Valley Metro Rail. In this role, Brian worked in tandem with HDR as the project manager of the $1.4 billion Phoenix Light Rail New Starts project.
The region’s fixed-route system finished out the year with a total of 373.5 million rides. Adding 12.3 million rides over 2024 represents an increase that is equal to the annual transit ridership of Kansas City.
The service is a flexible, reservation-based transit service designed to close the first- and last-mile gaps and connect riders to employment for just $5 per day.
The upgraded system, which went live earlier this month, supports METRO’s METRONow vision to enhance the customer experience, improve service reliability, and strengthen long-term regional mobility.
The agreement provides competitive wages and reflects strong labor-management collaboration, positive working relationships, and a shared commitment to building a world-class transit system for the community, said RTA CEO Lona Edwards Hankins.
The priorities are outlined in the 2026 Board and CEO Initiatives and Action Plan, which serves as a roadmap to guide the agency’s work throughout the year and ensure continued progress and accountability on voter-approved transportation investments and essential mobility services.
