Mark Niles, AICP, joined HNTB Corp. as senior project manager and associate VP, based in Washington, D.C. His responsibilities include program management, business development, technical quality oversight and project delivery.
Niles has 30 years of transit-planning experience and an extensive background in the mid-Atlantic. His experience includes projects and programs for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, DC Streetcar and many other transit and rail, bus and paratransit planning projects across the U.S.
Prior to joining HNTB, Niles served as associate vice president for another consulting firm. In this role, he served numerous regional projects, including as program manager for the WMATA on-call planning contract, project manager for the Federal Transit Administration New Starts/Small Starts land use reviews, and Metrobus market and effectiveness studies.
Niles earned a Master of Business Administration from Rollins College, a Master of Arts in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Iowa, and a Bachelor of Arts in Geography from State University of New York at Plattsburgh.
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.
