October 2020 Member of the Month: Joshu Shih

Meet Joshu Shih

What is your name?

Joshu Shih

Where do you work?

Transportation Resource Associates, Inc. (TRA)

What is your title?

Project Manager

What is your preferred way to get around the District? 

Metro! (When we're not in the middle of a global pandemic)

What is your favorite part of being a YPT-DC member? 

I enjoy belonging to a community of talented professionals who are passionate about all aspects of transportation!

What inspired you to pursue a career in transportation? 

I've been interested in transit since I was a toddler (ask my parents!), and after my first few jobs after college, I decided to make the leap and pursue a career in transportation. A few Google searches for transportation graduate school programs and a degree in city planning later, I have now worked in the transit industry for one decade total!

Describe a job or project that you are most proud of: 

In 2016-17, I managed a project in which TRA performed a study of Bay Area Rapid Transit's (BART) maintenance needs and analyzed how to address those balanced against BART's service options. TRA advised BART on the importance of prioritizing eliminating the agency's deferred capital maintenance backlog in order to return the system to a state of good repair (SGR). TRA's study also included a presentation to the BART Board of Directors; the BART Board recognized the importance of prioritizing BART's capital maintenance needs and supported doing so by approving a change in BART's weekday system opening time from 4:00 to 5:00 am, effective February 2019.

What is the best professional advice that you've received? 

Treat everyone you meet in the course of your work (co-workers, clients, and others) with courtesy and respect, and don't burn any bridges.  You never know when you will encounter people again!

Share a non-transportation fun fact about you!

I have lived in nine different states, and I've been to 44 of the 50 states!