Between the Rail Electrification Council, Solutionary Rail and OnTrackNorthAmerica Will has been involved in exploring the electrification of the US freight rail network while using railroad right-of-way to run high voltage power transmission lines. In addition to the energy efficiency, lane capacity building, and environmental benefits that will flow from electrification, the opportunity of connecting the essentially parallel freight rail and power transmission industries brings financial and logistic viability to remote renewable energy sources.
Will produced a webcast for Progressive Railroading Magazine exploring battery-powered, grid-tied locomotives and the benefits of using rail right-of-way for running high voltage lines.
Previously Will worked with Bob Tilley and Urban ABQ to elevate the use of carsharing in Northern New Mexico, using a collaborative entrepreneurial approach. The region spends a disproportionate amount of income on car ownership and could save millions by aggregating institutional and individual vehicle use. We were successful in getting the City of Albuquerque to dedicate a public parking space to carsharing.
Previously Will was Director of Strategic Initiatives for Strategic Rail Finance, as well as for the firm’s sister nonprofit transportation consultancy practice, OnTrackNorthAmerica. Will played key roles in SRF projects ranging from the Nevada State Rail Plan to rail equipment finance and business brokerage to the introduction of foreign technologies to the US freight rail system. For OTNA Will produced a freight rail summit in the US Capitol that connected railroads, shippers, labor, and government entities.
Will’s experience in car and bicycle sharing includes being the first fleet manager for PhillyCarShare, which grew to be the world’s largest nonprofit car-sharing company before being acquired by Enterprise. Will helped customers navigate the then-new world of car sharing and built relationships with fleet vendors, negotiating discounts for PhillyCarShare’s fleet repair work and consumables. Also, Will worked with Bike Share Philadelphia, creating a business projection and building support in the business community toward a TIGER grant proposal to bring bicycle sharing to Philadelphia.
Will developed and managed Commuter Options, a vanpool program linking Philadelphians with suburban jobs that was partially funded with a federal Job Access and Reverse Commute earmark. This system enables workers to drive themselves to jobs not reachable by transit while saving the cost of deploying fixed route shuttles with paid drivers.
With several years in both the same-day and overnight courier businesses, and in managing transportation for an urban greenhouse operation, Will has extensive experience in goods transportation and logistics, particularly in a large urban environment.
Also in Philadelphia, Will was Board Chair of INVISIBLE RIVER – a 501(c)3 non-profit dance company focused on building stewardship of rivers and parks. Will built productive relationships with city government and the Schuylkill River boating communities, and helped produce shows that featured aerial dance with audience members in fleets of dragon boats, canoes, and kayaks paddling between presentations.
Sisyphus Was in Transportation 