Karmjot Singh, PE, is a senior transportation engineer at the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA). He has over a decade of experience in construction and project management. Throughout his tenure in Santa Clara VTA’s Transit Engineering group, he has managed complex facility rehabilitation that ensures the safety and reliability of the agency’s facilities and assets.  

Currently, he is a program lead and project manager for the agency’s engineering and program delivery division, leading his department in the zero-emission bus transition program. His journey in public transit began with an internship at Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART). After completing his degree in mechanical engineering at San Jose State University, he joined Santa Clara VTA’s Transit Engineering group. He quickly advanced as the engineering lead of the state-of-good-repair program, which consists of rehabilitating and modernizing the agency’s transit facilities.  

Colleagues say Singh consistently excels when faced with unique hurdles that lack a standard solution. Rather than seeking temporary fixes, he blends his technical expertise to develop foundational blueprints that address the root of the challenge. He doesn't simply view a project such as a charging station installation; he sees it as a unified system across multiple divisions.  

As a graduate of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Emerging Leaders Program, he has continued to give back as a national alumni mentor, guiding the next generation of transit professionals through challenges of the public sector. Recently, Singh was elected vice chair of the APTA Zero-Emission Fleet Committee. In this role, he will help shape national conversations around fleet transition, sharing lessons learned with peers across the country and advocating for infrastructure-first thinking in national policy discussions. 

Is there a specific experience that led you to where you are today?  

In college, I participated in an internship with BART. This not only exposed me to construction and project management for major infrastructure projects, but it also opened my eyes to the incredible impact of public transit. I grew to deeply appreciate how it connects communities while protecting the environment by reducing traffic congestion and vehicle emissions.  

That internship inspired me to join the Spartan Superway team for my senior year project at San Jose State University (SJSU)—an ongoing, interdisciplinary student research initiative dedicated to developing a solar powered automated transit network (ATN) system. Together, my time at BART and SJSU sparked a genuine passion for the transit industry. This ultimately led me to an opportunity to join the engineering team at Santa Clara VTA, where I now use my technical and leadership skills to deliver projects and programs that directly benefit our community.  

A speaker in a leadership class I took once said that “transit is often viewed as an accidental career.” Looking back, I can relate; until I was exposed to it, I never thought I would be in the transit industry, but once you are exposed to it and appreciate its impact, you develop a close attachment to it.  

What do you enjoy most about your job?  

With my engineering mindset, I really enjoy solving problems and developing solutions that help others. I love being able to successfully deliver projects. For me, project success not only means delivering a project on time, but ensuring that the solutions I deliver serve the people who need and use them, such as the end users. This commitment has helped me gain stakeholders' credibility and trust over the years. My willingness to take on complex challenges has also provided me the opportunity to be the program lead within the engineering group on Santa Clara VTA’s transition to a zero-emission fleet—a major milestone that will directly benefit our community.  

What’s the most challenging part of your job?  

Every engineering project comes with its own set of hurdles, whether it's rehabilitation of aging infrastructure or integrating new and emerging technologies into an existing system. For me, navigating these obstacles requires a steady temperament and a disciplined approach to project management.  

In the case of transitioning to zero-emission technology, we are faced with a lot of unknowns. Instead of seeing these as roadblocks, I have treated them as opportunities to dive deep into understanding the core of what needs to happen. I overcome these challenges by being adaptable and committing to continuous learning by actively engaging with industry subject matter experts and sharing 'lessons learned' with my peers so we can all succeed together.  

What is the accomplishment you’re most proud of and why?  

One of the accomplishments I am most proud of is being able to participate in the APTA Emerging Leaders Program. While my early experiences in transit sparked a deep connection to the industry, this program gave me a true understanding of how the industry functions as a whole.  

I have jokingly said in a past presentation that as engineers, we like to think we run the industry. In reality, it takes every department working collectively to keep a transit system moving, as well as vendors and consultants who help keep the industry on its feet. It’s more than just seeing buses and trains on the road; it takes an immense amount of work behind the scenes to build and run a system. The program helped me appreciate this massive, interconnected ecosystem and provided a wonderful opportunity to receive mentorship from industry leaders while building a network that I continue to collaborate with today.  

What is an accomplishment you would like to work towards in your career?  

I would like to continue leading Santa Clara VTA’s transition to a zero- emission fleet. Sustainability is vital, and the need is apparent given the climate challenges that have been observed in recent times. Although the transition to zero emissions has its challenges, the environmental benefits are real. Historically, public transit has been viewed as an example of innovation for other industries to follow. Throughout my career, I hope to contribute to projects that not only benefit our community and environment, but also serve as an example to inspire others.  

What is your best advice you can share from your area of expertise?  

My advice would be to keep an open mind and avoid limiting yourself to just one track. Actively explore how other groups operate and look for opportunities to contribute cross-functionally. For example, I started on the construction side of our group but kept an open mind to learn design and project management, as well as the operations side of the organization. Exploring how the group worked and contributing helped me develop the experience and confidence to eventually help me lead programs and projects.  

I also recommend never being afraid to ask for input or feedback from others as you strive to become an expert yourself. Finally, having a group of mentors and applying their guidance to your career is also helpful—true mentorship is invaluable.