Adam Borsch Selected for APTA Emerging Leaders Class of 2026

Advancing Leadership Growth and Industry Understanding for Emerging Transportation Professionals

HDR transportation engineer Adam Borsch, P.E., ENV SP, has been accepted into the American Public Transportation Association’s Emerging Leaders Program Class of 2026. His selection from a pool of 75 underscores his devotion to identifying and navigating multimodal challenges faced by transportation agencies.

Based in HDR’s Denver office, Borsch is one of 36 professionals selected this year by APTA from member organizations across the transit industry. The 10-month program begins in late June at APTA’s Rail Conference and ends with a graduation ceremony at the May 2026 Mobility Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. Along the way, it includes skill-building workshops, round table sessions, online collaboration and unique access to the industry’s top leaders through a national mentoring program. The program will enhance Borsch’s development by exposing him to diverse viewpoints within the industry and deepening his knowledge of the opportunities and challenges in the industry and communities he serves.

“Developing multimodal communities that improve a community’s livelihood and landscape is truly rewarding,” Borsch said. “By leveraging new relationships I gain through the Emerging Leaders Program, I hope to shape the future of transit and improve my own neighborhood and communities across the county.”

Borsch has experience in the planning and design of bus, rail and active transportation projects for communities around the U.S. His balance of planning and engineering expertise was pivotal in advancing the multimodal integration on the East Colfax corridor in Denver. Outside of work, Borsch volunteers with various organizations, including Bicycle Colorado and Extreme Community Makeover. Promoting future transit engineers, he is a capstone advisor for civil engineering students at Metropolitan State University of Denver.

“Adam has demonstrated himself as one of the up-and-coming leaders of our transit practice,” said HDR Global Transit Director Matt Tucker. “His participation and graduation from this program will benefit more communities by expanding his ability to deliver innovative transportation solutions that drive accessibility and economic prosperity.”

Borsch’s acceptance into APTA’s Emerging Leaders program follows the graduation of HDR’s Theo Nkenfack in March 2025.