- Alma Mater: Texas Southern University
- Favorite book: “We Are the Change We Seek: The Speeches of Barack Obama” by E.J. Dionne Jr. and Joy-Ann Reid
- Favorite TV show: “Curb Your Enthusiasm”
- Favorite movie: “Avengers: Infinity War”
- Favorite hobby(s): Sports…fanatically speaking!
- Fun fact about yourself: I have a weak stomach and that has made for some interesting stories!
- Favorite station or stop that you have ever visited or frequent (and why): Union Station in Los Angeles because of the architecture and history.
- Favorite route you have ever ridden or frequent (and why): The Purple Line, Houston, Texas, because it connects you to the economic and educational engines of the most diverse city in the country. You can also see residential neighborhoods, both old and new.
Steven Granson joined HNTB in 2018, but his passion for transit began much earlier. Holding a bachelors in business administration, accounting and finance, and a masters in transportation planning, the transit industry sparked a 15-year career.
His combination of degrees provides a valuable specialization that helps clients visualize transit possibilities and how to deliver the capital resources to make them real. Because of this he’s held leadership roles on major transit projects in cities like Seattle, Chicago and more.
Living in Houston, Texas, Granson helped lead the $823 million Purple Line Light Rail project for the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County. He’s also part of the Campbellton Road Corridor transit project for MARTA, with Phase One underway. He’s assembled and is managing a team of 30 HNTB staff and six subconsultant firms to complete the study, which will determine the best forms of transit for the corridor.
Granson is known as an expert in the Federal Transit Administration’s New Starts capital funding program at HNTB. With his financial background he has developed an understanding of the program’s rules, mechanisms and policies, helping transit agencies advance projects.
Granson is also spearheading innovation at HNTB. With full support of HNTB’s executive leadership, he’s developing and leading a new transit project development practice that assists clients nationwide on transit, environmental, financial and economic development planning, as well as navigating federal rules and regulations.
He’s also chair of the New RailVolutionaries that connects young transit professionals with networking and education. He currently represents HNTB for the local Council of Minority Transportation Officials chapter, where he works to increase the capacity and engagement of minorities in the transportation industry and mentors small and disadvantaged firms. He’s a 2019 applicant to the American Public Transportation Association's leadership program.
He serves as a volunteer board member for the City of Manvel Economic Development Corporation after being appointed by the city council. In this role he advocates for transportation and infrastructure issues.
“My career in transit started with me wanting to fix our traffic issues where a live in Houston, Texas. I felt that our mass transit system needed to be expanded to reach diverse ridership in terms of travel destinations and travel patterns. I decided to seek a master’s degree in Transportation Planning and start working in the public transportation industry to help make a difference where I live.”
“Key advice that I usually give is that building relationships and trust with clients, project staff, professional peers are equally as important as having the technical expertise. There are certain qualities that successful projects have, and one is having staff come together with different technical expertise and work as a connected team to deliver not only a project but something that impacts the lives of many people.”
“This may sound idealistic but when I transitioned to a career in the public transit industry, I wanted to do work that would have an impact on communities in my city, state and across the U.S. Every day I get to work on projects that will impact people directly and/or indirectly. I can wake up every morning and be happy about that reality.”
