New Transurban North Am. prez comes from public sector

Beau Memory, Transurban’s new North America president, joined the Australian transportation company that operates express toll lanes in Northern Virginia in November with more than 20 years of public-sector transportation experience.

In an interview last week with Virginia Business, the Tysons-based Memory says he’s still getting acclimated to Northern Virginia. “I’m still learning the region, but it’s a really exciting place to be moving to. You know, the influx of people and the diversity of cultures and economic opportunity here is really amazing.”

Memory was previously CEO and executive director of Denver’s E-470 Public Highway Authority, and before that, he served as chief operating officer for the North Carolina Department of Transportation. Memory also was national transportation director at North Carolina-based software analytics company SAS and executive director for the North Carolina Turnpike Authority.

At Transurban, he will oversee the company’s 53 miles of toll lanes on the Capital Beltway and Interstates 95 and 395, as well as the A25 bridge in Montreal in Canada. The I-95 Express Lanes is creating the largest reversible road in the country, with about 170,000 trips per day.

“One of the things that I’m really excited about is the bi-directional project with VDOT. That has the promise of being one of the most innovative projects when it comes to transportation solutions for mobility that have been done in some time,” Memory said. In August, a 10-mile extension of the I-95 Express Lanes opened, running from Route 610 in Quantico to Route 17 in Fredericksburg, and in 2025, Transurban plans to open an additional 2.5 miles of Express Lanes on the 495 Beltway. With both projects, Transurban collaborates with the Virginia Department of Transportation.

“In the public sector, we obviously have more needs than we do resources,” Memory said. “I think by tapping into the private sector, we can do more, we can provide more mobility and bring innovations. We can hopefully meet the needs of this growing region and others around the country.”

Memory said that sensors placed along Northern Virginia’s Express Lanes collect about 2,000 data points per mile, which allow researchers to learn a great deal about traffic patterns and other trends. “Mobility in the future won’t be driven by any one mode,” he said. “There are some really exciting opportunities on the horizon with connected autonomous vehicles. I think the Express Lanes concept offers a jumping-off point for whatever technology comes.”

In March, Transurban pulled out of a $5 billion toll road project, the planned expansion of the 10-lane American Legion Bridge that connects Maryland with Virginia over the Potomac River.

Pierce Coffee, Transurban’s previous North American president, also left in March after serving as its top U.S. executive since 2021. Former Chief Finance Officer Michael Discenza served as acting president before Memory came on board in November. Discenza left Transurban in November.

“Beau brings a deep understanding of toll roads, the broader transport industry, strategy development and public policy,” Transurban CEO Michelle Jablko said in a statement. “He has experience working with a variety of stakeholders including federal and state legislators and various communities to deliver complex major projects and innovations that benefit customers.”