Justin Garrod, Corridor Design Manager – Systems, Sound Transit
Justin Garrod has been with Sound Transit for the past 10 years and in that time he has shown great commitment to Sound Transit and the needs of the agency. On several occasions Garrod has volunteered to take on additional duties such as working with the noise mitigation team to prototype, install, test and ultimately solve a noise impact with the surrounding community; stepping in as an acting assistant-resident engineer for a key communications project prior to the opening of light rail when our team really needed some strong leadership; and seeking out a local supplier to test an alternate approach to accomplishing ultra-straight rail which is otherwise unavailable in the United States and was a requirement for construction under the University of Washington campus.
Garrod is presently responsible for all aspects of the systems design for the University Link Extension and Northgate Link Extension projects. This design effort involves close coordination with both the local authority having jurisdiction for fire life safety systems as well as the operating organization to ensure that issues are being captured and improved upon as Sound Transit continues to expand its light rail system. Prior to that Garrod was Sound Transit’s resident engineer and project manager for the delivery of the light rail fleet. The first 35 light rail vehicles were delivered well in advance of revenue service for the initial segment project in 2009, an additional 27 light rail vehicles were ordered and delivered to support the opening of the University Link Project. This project was the first light rail procurement for Sound Transit and as such included a full design development of the vehicle and all sub-systems. Garrod was responsible for the successful completion of the design, qualification testing, delivery, testing and certification.
Garrod continually demonstrates his commitment to the agency and ensuring that the work he performs is done to the highest quality. He is very goal oriented and has a proven record of delivering projects both large and small with the same level of care and commitment.
Garrod is involved in the American Public Transportation Association and is a member of the Light Rail Vehicle Sub-Committee. In 2010 Garrod participated in the development of an APTA standard for procurement of light rail vehicles and presented the specification at the 2010 APTA Rail Conference. Locally Garrod has become quite involved in understanding the Alternative Public Works requirements for the state of Washington.
Garrod has been Project Management Professional certified since 2006 and in 2007 received the Dr. George M. Smerk Scholarship Award from the American Public Transportation Foundation. He completed a Master’s Degree in intermodal transportation management from the University of Denver in 2008.
"I am involved in the design and construction of Seattle’s light rail future! I really take pride in what we are accomplishing here in Seattle. The light rail service began with a connection from Downtown to the Airport and the establishment of our central hub. We are currently expanding with 2 major extensions in construction, 2 in final design and 1 more on the way. The public loves the service and are demanding more and more as quickly as we can provide it! What’s not to love?
"I am the second oldest of a family of six kids. We didn’t have much money and I learned early on that if I wanted something, I was going to have to go out and get if for myself. My first job was a paper route when I was 9 years old and I haven’t stopped working since then. I bussed tables through high school and went directly into the Navy from there. If there was one experience in my life that I could focus on in particular it would have to be the day I decided that I needed to go to college. I had been working as a jet engine mechanic for the Navy for less than a year and I came home and told my wife that a monkey could do my job; I needed to do more. I started taking night school classes after work directly after that. I believe that if you work hard and look for opportunities and sometimes make opportunities you will be successful. I tell my kids that the best thing that I have done throughout my career has been to volunteer for the job that isn’t getting done. Oftentimes that leads to a promotion and advancement.
"This is an exciting time for public transit in the U.S. Cities all across the country are choosing to invest in public transit and once that initial investment is made the public is demanding more and more. We are tired of sitting in our cars in traffic for an hour or more getting to work. Public transit today has a tremendous amount of opportunities for future career growth. I find the work exciting and rewarding. I am PROUD to tell people that I was the light rail vehicle project manager and those are my trains operating in Seattle! I am PROUD to be a part of the team that is bringing light rail to Seattle!
"I would like to see continued investments made in expanding public transit in more cities across the U.S. I would like to see a coordinated effort by adjacent transit agencies to maximize their efficiency by supporting each other with feeder services and synchronized transfer schedules. I really like what is happening in Portland and Denver (and here in Seattle of course) where transit has been expanding service for many years. Transit-oriented development is popping up around the light rail lines and in several instances whole communities are being planned and built around the new light rail stations. I would like to see less red tape and more collaboration. I would like to see greater opportunities for more young people to enter the transit industry and embark on careers in transit. We need to take a hard look at succession planning in our industry and really start thinking about who is going to take the place of the 30-year-experienced engineers that are getting ready to retire in the next couple of years. There is a tremendous amount of experience in our community today that is on the verge of retirement. I don’t believe the industry is prepared to fill the gap when those retirements really start happening.
"I like to spend time on the water kayaking and wakeboarding, [and also] riding bikes and working out. I’m an avid fitness guy and I make sure to allow for time to go to the gym every day. At home I tend to spend my time working on home improvement projects and outdoor activities. I like to go camping and ride dirt bikes with my family and our group of friends."
