Former Connecticut DOT transit leader brings customer experience, service planning and mobility innovation expertise to the firm’s transit practice

HARTFORD, Conn. (Feb. 12, 2026) – Alicia Leite, MPA has joined HNTB as a senior associate in transit planning. In this role, Leite will help expand HNTB’s transit planning practice and deepen client relationships across the Northeast and nationally.

Leite has more than a decade of experience in public transportation planning, customer experience, transit service planning and organizational strategy. At the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) she held several senior leadership roles within the Bureau of Public Transportation, most recently overseeing customer experience, marketing and planning functions across bus, rail and paratransit services statewide.

At HNTB, Leite will partner with transit agencies to deliver strategic transit planning, customer experience programs, service planning, organizational assessments and mobility innovation initiatives that enable agencies to meet evolving rider expectations and long-term operational goals.

Jake Argiro, PE, Connecticut office leader and vice president at HNTB, said Leite’s experience will expand the firm’s ability to support clients navigating change.

“Alicia brings a rare combination of public-sector leadership, customer experience expertise and hands-on transit planning experience,” Argiro said. “Her work at CTDOT, including statewide customer experience initiatives and federal innovation grants, aligns directly with what our clients need as they modernize systems and respond to changing customer expectations. She will be instrumental in growing our transit planning capabilities.”

While at CTDOT, Leite led the creation of the department’s Customer Experience (CX) Unit and directed development of the Statewide Customer Experience Action Plan, working closely with transit districts, rail operators, advocacy organizations and community stakeholders. Her work focused on improving rider satisfaction, accessibility, equity and consistency across Connecticut’s multimodal transit network.

She also played a key role in advancing mobility innovation and transit technology, including authoring and helping secure a SMART grant from the United States Department of Transportation for the Connecticut Integrated Transit Mobility Project. This initiative supported open payments, unified fare strategies and the identification of a statewide mobility application, positioning Connecticut as a leader in customer-focused transit modernization.

In addition to customer experience leadership, Leite managed and supported bus service planning, service expansion, fare equity analysis and federal transit programs. Her background also includes work on bus rapid transit, rail start-up support, grant-funded pilot programs and public engagement for major transit initiatives.

“Joining HNTB gives me the opportunity to continue working alongside transit agencies and improve how people experience public transportation,” said Leite. “My career has focused on putting riders first through thoughtful planning, customer experience and innovation. HNTB’s collaborative approach and strong transit practice create an ideal platform to help agencies deliver meaningful, lasting improvements.”

Leite is an active leader in the public transportation industry and has been recognized nationally for her contributions, including being named to Mass Transit magazine’s 40 Under 40. She also is a graduate of the American Public Transportation Association’s Emerging Leaders Program and serves as a national mentor. Recently, she was appointed to a two-year term on the APTA Emerging Leaders Program committee. Leite also remains engaged in APTA committees focused on marketing, communications and customer experience. She is an active member in the Connecticut chapters of WTS and the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO).

Leite plans to attend the APTA Marketing, Communications & Customer Experience Workshop later this month where she will be co-moderating ‘From Challenges to Change: How to Design and Deliver a CX Action Plan’. Attendees can learn more about her perspective on customer-centered transit planning and HNTB’s growing transit practice.