One word to describe yourself: Driven
Alma Mater: University of Alaska Anchorage
Fast fact about yourself: I love trains.
What’s your best experience on transit and what made it memorable? At the launch of TriMet’s first bus rapid transit route, FX2 Division, I rode the second of two launch buses. Our bus didn’t have LYT’s signal priority, while the first bus did. Watching the first bus sail through green lights as we kept stopping—and realizing firsthand how our technology could transform a commute—was an unforgettable moment that reinforced why I do this work.
Timothy Menard, founder and CEO, LYT, has dedicated his career to eliminating friction in urban mobility, creating safer, faster and more reliable commutes. He founded LYT to deliver scalable, secure, cloud-based traffic management solutions that work with existing infrastructure, saving cities millions in hardware upgrades.
His transit signal priority (TSP) solution reduces congestion, maintenance costs and emissions while making public transit more dependable. His artificial intelligence (AI)-driven emergency vehicle preemption (EVP) system saves lives by reducing response times. Both solutions continuously improve through proprietary machine learning algorithms.
Under his leadership, LYT has deployed its technology across major metros, saving the cities of San Jose, Calif., and Portland, Ore., more than 18,000 hours of bus idling time. Beyond leading the company, Menard works alongside city planners, public safety officials and transit authorities to bring these solutions to life. His work has earned recognition from the Institute of Transportation Engineers, National Science Foundation and Green Tech Awards.
Colleagues say that what sets Menard apart is his ability to combine technical vision with execution at scale. He pioneered cloud-based traffic signal optimization that integrates seamlessly and immediately with existing municipal infrastructure, delivering advanced features like TSP and EVP without the need for costly hardware replacements. These solutions directly improve reliability for public transportation and reduce emergency response times.
As LYT has expanded, Menard’s role has evolved from founder to hands-on leader, overseeing operations, stakeholder engagement and strategic growth. He’s led successful pilots and seamless multi-jurisdictional rollouts while maintaining a deep commitment to the day-to-day details that ensure project success.
Colleagues also say Menard fosters a culture of continuous improvement, where his product, engineering and operations teams are empowered to solve some of transit’s most persistent challenges. His forward-thinking leadership has transformed LYT into a recognized player in the smart mobility space.
Menard actively participates in national and regional industry organizations such as the Institute of Transportation Engineers and the International Municipal Signal Association, where he shares insights and collaborates on standards for traffic management and transit innovation. As an advocate for smart cities and sustainable mobility, he frequently engages with transportation officials, public safety leaders and policymakers to drive technology adoption that supports the public good. He has been invited to keynote at transportation conferences and innovation forums, contributing thought leadership on how AI and cloud technologies can revolutionize traffic and transit management, especially in budget-constrained municipalities.
He also takes a collaborative approach to partnerships, working with cities, counties and states to design and implement TSP and EVP systems that reduce congestion, improve response times and make transit more reliable. His initiatives have delivered demonstrable environmental and public safety benefits to communities across the U.S.
Is there a specific experience that led you to where you are today?
It started with a simple idea: What if buses on a college campus could actually stay on time? As I dug deeper, I realized it wasn’t just about the buses; it was about connecting vehicles to the infrastructure itself and how that connection could transform how every car, bus, bike or emergency vehicle moves through a city. That idea became a reality in a meeting with the CIO at the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), where we discovered their system wasn’t giving buses priority at signals. Solving that challenge sparked LYT and confirmed for me that better data and smarter systems could truly change how cities work. The opportunity to prove this concept with Santa Clara VTA nearly six years ago gave us the chance to create LYT and build the connected vehicle platform people know today.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
We are literally making decisions on behalf of all road users, and that’s a huge responsibility. What I mean by that is we’re controlling movement on the roadways for all vehicles, shaping how cars, buses, trucks, micromobility and emergency vehicles navigate cities across the U.S.
I love knowing that our work helps people get home to their families faster, reduces stress and creates more connected communities. It’s incredibly fulfilling to see cities trust LYT to deliver tangible change and to know the solutions we build have a real, positive impact on daily lives and society at large.
What’s the most challenging part of your job?
Translating cutting-edge AI into real-world traffic systems is never an easy task. We face challenges like integrating with aging infrastructure, navigating data limitations and earning public trust but one of the biggest hurdles is balancing multimodal competition; it’s not just buses and emergency vehicles vying for green lights, but micromobility, delivery trucks and everyday drivers. Creating fair, adaptive systems that move everyone efficiently is a constant, evolving challenge.
What is the accomplishment you’re most proud of and why?
Taking the leap to start my own company and betting on myself. Building LYT from an idea into a thriving business and staying true to my word every step of the way is something I’m incredibly proud of. Seeing our technology at work in cities across the country, making transit faster and safer, validates every risk taken along the way.
What is an accomplishment you would like to work towards in your career?
I want to see AI-powered, citywide mobility platforms become the standard for managing urban transportation. My vision is to build systems that dynamically adapt in real time, prioritize equitable access and support multimodal options. Ultimately, we are creating cities where traffic flows efficiently, sustainably and inclusively for everyone, not just those in cars.
What is your best advice, tip, or best practice you can share from your area of expertise?
In complex mobility projects, success starts by bringing everyone to the table from the very beginning. City leadership, transit agencies, fire and police chiefs, traffic engineers, public works teams, IT and cybersecurity specialists all play a role in the successful implementation of these complex platforms. These systems touch every facet of how cities operate. True change occurs when stakeholders align on goals and collaborate to create safer, smarter and more responsive roadways.
About the Author
Brandon Lewis
Associate Editor
Brandon Lewis is a recent graduate of Kent State University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Lewis is a former freelance editorial assistant at Vehicle Service Pros in Endeavor Business Media’s Vehicle Repair Group. Lewis brings his knowledge of web managing, copyediting and SEO practices to Mass Transit Magazine as an associate editor. He is also a co-host of the Infrastructure Technology Podcast.