WSP USA named Bill Keyes as its new assistant VP and senior rail systems manager.
In his new role, Keyes will be responsible for guiding projects involving transportation technology systems through engineering design, construction management, and contract administration. Additionally, he will support business development and sales activities and grow the Texas-based transit team.
Keyes brings to the firm 29 years of extensive experience in rail systems design, construction management, and program management. As a systems area manager in Texas for his previous firm’s rail and industrial systems division, he was involved with several major programs for key transportation agencies across the state, including Dallas Area Rapid Transit Authority, Trinity METRO, and Houston METRO.
He has also worked on projects with the Chicago Transit Authority and the Exposition Metro Line Construction Authority in Los Angeles. Keyes led the systems design for the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County Light Rail Expansion Design-Build in Houston, and was the project manager for the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District positive train control system integrator.
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.