Kwadwo Atta Joins HDR as Southeast Transit Leader
With a proven history of transforming the transportation landscape in both the U.S. and U.K., Kwadwo Atta, PMP, has joined HDR as the firm’s southeast transit leader.
Atta, based in Atlanta, will work with teams and clients to support the development and delivery of multidisciplinary transit programs with a focus in Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi. He will advise on the technical, regulatory, financial and operational impacts of transit programs on communities.
Atta has more than two decades of public and private sector experience as an industry expert in rail, streetcar and bus rapid transit project planning, design, program management and construction management. Active in the industry, Atta participates in key organizations such as the Community Streetcar Coalition, the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials and the American Public Transportation Association. He is an alumnus of the Leadership APTA development program.
"My entire career has been dedicated to improving transportation systems that support efficient, reliable and equitable access to it," Atta said. "I’m excited to join a team that has a well-established reputation of leading some of the most transformative public transportation efforts happening today."
Before joining HDR, Atta worked as the city of Atlanta’s deputy chief operating officer, where he was pivotal in shaping and executing the city’s infrastructure strategy. His purview encompassed diverse departments, including Watershed Management, Transportation, City Planning, Department of Enterprise and Asset Management, as well as oversight of key entities such as MARTA and Atlanta Beltline Inc.
His previous consulting work included various influential roles in the development and delivery of complex infrastructure programs, including Atlanta’s first BRT system, first streetcar system and State of Good Repair program. Atta began his civil engineering career in the U.K., where he worked on the Network Rail Asset Management program and the Channel Tunnel (now HS1) Rail Link Contract 342.
"Kwadwo brings a breadth of global experience in leading critical transit development," said HDR Global Transit Director Matt Tucker. "His extensive work in successfully overseeing the planning and implementation of large transportation projects will be invaluable as communities continue to invest in transit solutions."
