Meet Rebecca “Becky” Wong: Principal Project Manager At The Transbay DTX/Portal Program
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
What’s your favorite thing about working for Parsons?
The people. I genuinely enjoy the people I work with and partner with. Finding those kinds of teammates, getting on projects with them, and having their support is what makes Parsons such a great place to work for me.
You’ve spent nearly two decades at Parsons working on some of the most complex rail and transit programs. What originally inspired you to pursue a career in transportation infrastructure?
With engineering, I liked the idea that you can see the physical results of your work. That’s what initially drew me to civil engineering. Transportation, in particular, appealed to me because these projects directly benefit the communities where we live and work. Helping people get where they need to go is meaningful, and that’s why I feel so passionate about transportation.
You’ve held multiple roles on the Transbay Program Downtown Rail Extension (DTX) project (now known as The Portal), from design engineer to deputy project manager to engineering manager. What makes this program so unique?
Having been involved with this project for a long time, I’ve been able to witness the evolution of the agency and the program firsthand. Although this program has taken a long time to come to fruition, there are actual benefits that go along with it. Over time, the agency and the program have been able to clearly define and optimize what’s truly needed for the public, the operators, and the many stakeholders. As the GEC, we have helped the agency essentialize the program into the core elements required to make the project successful and deliver something that can be used by everyone in San Francisco, the Bay Area, and ultimately the state. That long-term perspective has helped sharpen and strengthen the program.
Managing a design team of more than 100 staff and 15 consultants is no small effort. How do you keep teams aligned and motivated?
It has definitely been a challenge, especially with tight timelines for key deliverables when the agency was working to accelerate its preliminary engineering schedule. The most important factor is communication. Team members need to clearly understand their scope, what they are responsible for delivering, and how their work impacts other disciplines. Having the right touchpoints across the team ensures alignment and shared understanding. Connecting those dots and keeping the big picture in focus is actually one of my favorite parts of the job.
What are the most critical technical challenges a general engineering consultant must manage on a project like The Portal?
A key technical challenge is building entirely new infrastructure in a dense, established downtown urban environment. This is not a greenfield site. We are dealing with existing buildings, complex ground conditions, and a dense network of utilities. In addition to the dense urban environment, this project has another level of complexity because a large portion of the enabling work needs to be executed within Caltrain’s existing railyard and terminus. An essential part of the GEC’s design for this work is detailed construction staging to complete the modifications needed while still meeting Caltrain’s operational goals of maintaining their service throughout the construction of The Portal. Managing and mitigating these challenging constraints, and accounting for them in the design, is critical to the project’s success.
Stakeholder management is a huge part of the Transbay Program. How do you build trust and alignment across agencies?
It starts with understanding each stakeholder’s priorities and identifying what is a must-have versus a nice-to-have. From there, it is about coordinating those priorities to achieve the best overall outcome. Relationships are key. Building trust and understanding helps ensure everyone knows we are working toward the same goal: delivering the best possible project for the public.
As the program moves into its next phase, what are the key considerations for success of the program?
At this point, one of the most critical needs to ensure the program can be a success is to secure the balance of funding needed to construct the project. In particular, securing additional matching fund commitments will enable the agency to request Full Funding Grant Agreement through the FTA’s Capital Investment Grant program. An effective approach for this will be to build coalitions that support delivery of The Portal and partner with leaders that can advocate for the project and the TJPA’s mission.
Your experience includes BART, California High-Speed Rail, Sound Transit, the Oakland Airport Connector, and major P3 projects. How does that background help you anticipate challenges on Transbay?
I value having a balance of local projects and large-scale programs in my background. Understanding the Bay Area’s unique stakeholder environment is critical. At the same time, learning how other agencies approach project delivery is incredibly valuable. Seeing projects through ribbon-cutting and bringing those lessons learned back to Transbay helps keep the program moving forward and strengthens our overall approach.
When managing large multidisciplinary teams, what qualities define a high-performing engineering organization?
Communication, trust, and quality are essential. Strong leadership that brings disciplines together and ensures meaningful engagement, both internally as well as with clients and stakeholders, is critical. Parsons’ rigorous quality program is a real strength. It ensures consistency in approach across disciplines and helps us deliver a high-quality product.
What’s your approach to mentoring emerging engineers on complex mega programs?
What benefited me most early in my career was exposure to the bigger picture. Young engineers are often assigned very focused tasks, but understanding how their work fits into the broader schedule, how it impacts other disciplines and stakeholders, and how it serves the client is invaluable. Giving them that visibility early helps them grow and better understand what drives major programs.
If the public understood one thing about why the Transbay Program and particularly The Portal project matters, what would it be?
It delivers the last mile for both Caltrain and California High-Speed Rail, bringing both into the heart of downtown San Francisco. This program creates connections that will improve commutes, strengthen regional mobility, and increase the vitality of the Bay Area and the state as a whole.
What excites you most about the next chapter of the Transbay Program?
I’ve been on this project a long time, and my career has grown alongside it. Seeing the agency and the program mature has been incredibly rewarding. Now, being on the cusp of putting shovels in the ground is extremely exciting. I look forward to continuing to deliver the project and, one day, riding a train directly into the bottom level of the Salesforce Transit Center.