Special Insight: WSP USA's Walker-Ford Shares Insight on Improving Transit Equity, Ridership
WSP USA Hires Joseph Black for Leadership Role
Joseph Black has more than 30 years of experience in rail and bus operations in the U.S.

Joseph Black is a graduate of Villanova University with a bachelor’s degree in political science.
Photo: WSP USA/METRO
WSP USA announced it has hired Joseph Black to join its national Transit and Rail business as sr. VP and lead for the rail operations and service planning team, according to the company's news release.
Black has more than 30 years of experience in rail and bus operations in the U.S., having worked for agencies such as Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, Lone Star Rail, and Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District.
“Joe is an excellent fit for this role with great experience as an operator, project lead and consultancy manager,” said Jannet Walker-Ford, WSP’s SVP. “He has an exceptional understanding of the challenges facing rail operations and has a history of goal-focused solution development for agencies and operators across the U.S.”
Black’s background includes experience in rail operations and maintenance, leadership of multi-disciplinary technical, advisory and safety teams, and business operations such as organizational change and effective team building.
His most recent role was a senior rail project/program executive with a large international engineering firm, where he brought his deep knowledge of rail operations and maintenance to the project delivery sphere, helping to ensure that projects, from planning through design and construction, consider operating impacts of system and infrastructure elements.
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