An expert in freight rail planning and funding, Kevin Keller has been named HDR’s new intermodal transportation planning practice leader.
In his new role, Keller will be responsible for planning, directing and monitoring large intermodal transportation planning projects. He will assist clients with long-range visioning, strategic and tactical planning, policy, funding and finance, supply chain logistics, project development, and more.
“The recent passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act represents a monumental opportunity for the clients we serve, providing a five-year authorization of significantly increased funding, allowing them to advance state of good repair as well as expansion projects,” Keller said. “Taken together with looming agency retirements and staff shortages, our industry’s role to serve as trusted advisors and extensions of staff becomes even more important.”
Keller will collaborate with multidisciplinary teams serving the freight rail, maritime and trucking industries to develop solutions tailored to clients’ unique needs.
“Kevin has a unique understanding of freight supply chains, including ocean ports, river ports, railroads and trucking,” said Freight Rail Director Bill Hjelholt. “His expertise is invaluable to our clients and regulators as objectives and policies evolve into plans, which seek funding, protect the environment and create productive infrastructure.”
With over 30 years of experience, Keller has worked with state and federal agencies, freight railroads, port authorities, and other clients across North and Central America. He is a recognized expert in state rail plan development, federal grant application strategy and development, National Environmental Policy Act strategy, and intermodal facility planning. His broad-reaching planning and analysis skills include capital and long-range planning, intermodal facility economic analyses, environmental permitting, engineering design, and service planning and operations.
Keller is well known to the U.S. Department of Transportation modal agencies, including the Federal Railroad Administration, the Maritime Administration, as well as the U.S. Surface Transportation Board. He recently worked with the White House Supply Chain Task Force to reallocate federal funding for improvements at one of HDR's port client’s facilities.
“Kevin is not only a recognized industry expert in the intermodal transportation planning space and a highly sought-after resource within HDR, he drives the state of the practice by innovating new approaches and solutions for our clients every day,” said Global Transportation Planning Director Santanu Roy. “I’m excited about enhancing our intermodal transportation planning services across our program under his leadership.”
