Jarrett Walker + Associates
Jarrett Walker + Associates is a Portland-based transit planning consultancy founded in 2011 that designs and redesigns public bus and rail networks for transit agencies, cities, and regional planning organizations across North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, supported by equity analysis, public engagement, policy development, and training services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersPortland, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Jarrett Walker + Associates does
Jarrett Walker + Associates (JWA) is a privately-held professional services firm founded in 2011 and headquartered in Portland, Oregon, with a second office in the Washington, DC area. The firm specializes in public transit network design, with a portfolio of services spanning network planning and redesign, service equity analyses (including Title VI compliance), public engagement facilitation, policy development, executive advisory, and a recurring two-day Transit Network Design Course. JWA's core methodology emphasizes access-based equity analysis (measuring destinations reachable rather than service distribution), ridership-versus-coverage tradeoff frameworks, and iterative network design charrettes that build internal capacity at client agencies. The firm develops proprietary visualizations and online map-based tools to support its analysis and public engagement work, but does not offer a unified software product.
JWA generates revenue through fee-for-service consulting engagements with transit agencies, cities, and regional planning organizations, supplemented by paid training courses (tuition ~US$500 per attendee) and paid speaking engagements. New business is primarily secured through competitive procurement (RFP/RFQ) processes with public-sector clients, with ongoing retention for repeat relationships such as TransLink Vancouver (continuously since 2011). Recent strategic contract wins include an $3.5M Comprehensive Operational Analysis for RTD Denver (2026) and active redesign work for Des Moines and Atlanta. The firm operates across North America, Europe (Dublin, Moscow), the Middle East, Australia, and New Zealand, employing approximately 20 staff across principal, senior associate, and associate tiers.
JWA's go-to-market relies heavily on thought leadership, anchored by Jarrett Walker's book Human Transit (Island Press, revised 2024), the HumanTransit.org blog, and the founder's public profile as an international speaker and media commentator. The firm has led more successful major transit network redesigns in the US than any other firm, with documented outcomes including a 40% ridership increase at DASH Alexandria (2025 vs 2019), the Houston METRO redesign connecting 1M people to 1M jobs with no operating cost increase, and the Dublin redesign serving over 1.4 million people. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed; the firm operates as a private consultancy with no parent company, no external venture investment, and no public listing.
Jarrett Walker + Associates firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Jarrett Walker + Associates
- Legal name
- Jarrett Walker + Associates
- Website
- https://jarrettwalker.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Jarrett Walker + Associates is a Portland-based transit planning consultancy founded in 2011 that designs and redesigns public bus and rail networks for transit agencies, cities, and regional planning organizations across North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, supported by equity analysis, public engagement, policy development, and training services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Jarrett Walker + Associates industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Transit Planning Consulting
- NAICS
- Management Consulting Services (54161)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Innovation, Product & R&D Consulting (BPAHACAM)
Keywords
Where Jarrett Walker + Associates is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Portland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Jarrett Walker + Associates business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Transit Planning Consulting Services: JWA generates revenue through professional consulting engagements with transit agencies, cities, and regional planning organizations. Projects are typically fee-for-service, ranging from specific task assignments to comprehensive network redesign contracts spanning months to years.
- Training Course Delivery: The firm conducts paid training courses on transit network design. Sponsored sessions are arranged by organizations hiring JWA directly; JWA also organizes self-sponsored sessions charging tuition (typically around US $500 depending on length and location).
- Speaking and Event Engagements: Jarrett Walker is paid for speaking engagements at urbanist, development, and transit professional conferences, as well as media interviews related to ongoing or completed projects.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom project-based pricing for transit planning engagements |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Transit Network Design Course (2-day intensive) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Jarrett Walker + Associates product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Jarrett Walker + Associates is a public transit consulting firm that designs and redesigns bus, rail, demand-response, and paratransit networks for transit agencies and cities. The firm's core practice includes transit network planning, service equity analyses, public engagement facilitation, policy development, and executive advisory services delivered through fee-for-service consulting engagements and paid training courses.
Product overview
Jarrett Walker + Associates is a public transit consulting firm offering a portfolio of integrated services rather than a unified software product. Core offerings include Transit Network Planning (design/redesign of bus, rail, and paratransit networks), Service Equity Analyses (Title VI compliance and equity analysis tools), Public Engagement facilitation, Policy Development, Executive Advice, and Events & Speaking services. The firm also offers a Transit Network Design Course as a training product. These services are delivered through consulting engagements with transit agencies, cities, and planning organizations across North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Transit Network Planning Leads the design or redesign of transit networks, including bus, rail, demand-response, and paratransit services. JWA has led more successful major transit network redesigns in the United States than any other firm; engagements include blank-slate redesigns and comprehensive operational analyses for transit agencies of all sizes.
- Service Equity Analyses Develops access-based analysis and visualization tools to help agencies and stakeholders understand the potential impacts of bus network changes on vulnerable populations, including Title VI Service Equity Analysis that measures not just distribution of services but actual access to destinations (work, healthcare, grocery).
- Public Engagement Convenes innovative outreach processes that empower stakeholders and the public to participate substantively in transit planning decisions through two-way engagement, including tools for helping participants understand trade-offs between competing transit values.
- Policy Development Develops transit agency policy frameworks that create clearer conversations among stakeholders about the purpose of transit in a community, including service purpose policies and Frequent Network Policies.
- Executive Advice Provides executive-level advice on transit agency service elements, ranging from strategic consultation to on-demand mapping and big data analysis using cutting-edge tools.
- Transit Network Design Course Intensive two-day course teaching public transit network design principles through hands-on exercises. Available for sponsorship by organizations (e.g., Access LA, Intercity Transit) or as self-organized public offerings in Portland, Chicago, and other cities, with tuition typically around US $500.
- Events & Speaking Jarrett Walker speaks to urbanist, development, and transit professional groups (including Railvolution and Congress for the New Urbanism keynotes), and grants media interviews on aspects of ongoing or completed projects; booked through direct contact.
Quantifiable outcome
- Houston redesign connects 1 million people and 1 million jobs with high-frequency all-day service at no increase in operating cost
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Jarrett Walker + Associates
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Jarrett Walker + Associates technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Jarrett Walker + Associates partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- TEI (Traffic Engineers, Inc.)coreTEI partnered with JWA on the Houston METRO Transit System Reimagining project in 2013-2014. JWA played the major role in network planning while TEI provided traffic engineering expertise. The Houston project was a blank-slate rethinking of the entire bus network for the nation's 4th largest city.
- Michael Baker InternationalcoreMichael Baker International collaborated with JWA on the Richmond Transit Network Plan starting in late 2015. The partnership combined JWA's network design expertise with Michael Baker's planning capabilities to redesign Richmond's transit network in the context of the new Pulse BRT line.
- Kimley-HorncoreJWA worked as subconsultant to Kimley-Horn on the Wake County Transit Investment Strategy starting in Fall 2014. JWA led the transit network analysis and design elements while Kimley-Horn handled corridor governance and financial analyses.
- IBI AssociatescoreJWA joined IBI Associates to conduct the Columbus Transit System Review for the Central Ohio Transit Authority. JWA led transit network redesign elements while collaborating with IBI on this comprehensive operational analysis project.
- Parsons BrinckerhoffminorJWA worked with Parsons Brinckerhoff on Fresno's Strategic Transit Plan, developing scenarios for future service options and short-term redesign recommendations.
- Transpo GroupminorJWA worked with Transpo Group on the Capital Element of Bellevue's Transit Master Plan, following JWA's lead role on the Service Element.
- Access LAminorAccess LA sponsored JWA training sessions in Los Angeles in 2024, 2025, and 2026, hosting the transit network design course for local transit agency and government staff.
- Intercity TransitminorIntercity Transit sponsored a JWA training session in Olympia, Washington in 2024 for local transit agency and government staff.
- Spokane TransitcoreSpokane Transit commissioned JWA for visioning workshops to help community stakeholders understand fundamental transit choices and prioritize future projects in the context of a sales tax referendum.
- MRCagneycoreJWA worked extensively with Brisbane-based MRCagney on multiple projects including Auckland Transport bus network redesign. MRCagney facilitated JWA's work in Australia and New Zealand markets, with MRCagney hosting public course offerings.
- Nelson\NygaardcorePrior to founding JWA, Jarrett Walker worked with Nelson\Nygaard on major network redesigns including Minneapolis-St. Paul, Houston (turn of century), and Spokane. The relationship continued as JWA sometimes references or collaborates with former colleagues.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Jarrett Walker + Associates competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Fehr & Peers: Transportation planning and engineering consultancy specializing in multimodal analysis, transit planning, and traffic engineering for public agencies — directly comparable to JWA's service mix in North American municipal clients.
- IBI Group: Has directly partnered with JWA on the Columbus Transit System Review for COTA, combining transit network redesign with broader operational analysis. Comparable in transit planning and urban systems design scope.
- MRCagney: Brisbane-based transport consultancy with which JWA has partnered on multiple Australia/New Zealand bus network redesigns (including Auckland). Closely comparable in niche transit network design expertise and is JWA's primary in-region peer for ANZ.
- Toole Design Group: Planning and engineering firm focused on multimodal transportation, including transit, bicycle, and pedestrian planning for public agencies. Comparable as a specialist transportation planning consultancy serving similar municipal clients.
- Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates: Founded by the same planning community; Jarrett Walker was previously a partner there. Nelson\Nygaard is a direct peer in transit and multimodal planning with deep overlap in network redesign, equity analysis, and public engagement.
Broad incumbents
- Kimley-Horn: National planning and engineering consultancy that has engaged JWA as a subconsultant on Wake County transit work. A broad incumbent competing for transit and multimodal planning engagements across the US.
- Arup: Global engineering and design consultancy with a significant transport planning practice. Competes on large multimodal and transit network studies while offering deep engineering and design capabilities JWA does not.
- AECOM: Global infrastructure consulting firm with a substantial transit and urban mobility practice. Competes with JWA on large public-agency network studies while offering full engineering, design, and program management capabilities.
- WSP: Global engineering consultancy (formerly Parsons Brinckerhoff, with whom JWA has partnered). Offers transit planning as part of a much broader infrastructure portfolio and competes on large-scale multimodal procurements.
- Stantec: Global engineering, architecture, and consulting firm with a transportation planning practice that competes for transit-agency and municipal planning contracts alongside specialists like JWA.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Jarrett Walker + Associates social profiles
Digital presenceJarrett Walker + Associates financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Jarrett Walker + Associates leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Jarrett Walker + Associates funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Jarrett Walker + Associates M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Jarrett Walker + Associates
What does Jarrett Walker + Associates do?
Jarrett Walker + Associates is a public transit consulting firm that designs and redesigns bus, rail, demand-response, and paratransit networks for transit agencies and cities. The firm's core practice includes transit network planning, service equity analyses, public engagement facilitation, policy development, and executive advisory services delivered through fee-for-service consulting engagements and paid training courses.
Is Jarrett Walker + Associates a public or private company?
Jarrett Walker + Associates is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Jarrett Walker + Associates founded?
Jarrett Walker + Associates was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Jarrett Walker + Associates based?
Jarrett Walker + Associates is headquartered in Portland, United States, in the North America region.
How does Jarrett Walker + Associates make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Transit Planning Consulting Services are the primary driver. The others are training Course Delivery and speaking and Event Engagements.
Who are Jarrett Walker + Associates's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Fehr & Peers, IBI Group, MRCagney, Toole Design Group and Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates. Broad incumbents are Kimley-Horn, Arup, AECOM, WSP and Stantec.
Does Jarrett Walker + Associates have an API?
No public API is recorded for Jarrett Walker + Associates.
What industry is Jarrett Walker + Associates in?
Jarrett Walker + Associates's product category is Public Transit Planning Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHACAM, Innovation, Product & R&D Consulting. Its NAICS code is 54161 and its SIC code is 8742.