How VR and AI Are Reshaping Construction
Key Takeaways
New team members: The podcast introduces two new members to the team this week in Jessica Parks, associate editor for Roads and Bridges, and Noah Kolenda, associate editor for Mass Transit.
Heavy rail leads post-pandemic transit recovery: Noah shares data from the American Public Transportation Association on transit-agency ridership recovery. The data shows heavy rail ridership rose 14.4% year-over-year in Q2 2025, marking the strongest recovery among transit modes.
Immersive tech reshapes infrastructure: Gavin interviews Steve Davidson of American Structurepoint, who highlights how virtual and augmented reality are improving design accuracy, stakeholder engagement and worker training.
Ahead or Behind: To wrap the episode, Brandon hosts part two of the game Ahead or Behind, where Gavin and Jessica guess which transit agencies ranked ahead or behind King County Metro Transit in Seattle for total bus ridership in 2024.
Summary: In this episode of the Infrastructure Technology Podcast, the team dives into fresh ridership data from the American Public Transportation Association, revealing that heavy rail has seen the strongest post-pandemic rebound, with a 14.4% year-over-year increase. Washington, D.C.’s Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority led all agencies in growth, followed by New York, Boston, Philadelphia and San Francisco. Later, Gavin Jenkins speaks with Steve Davidson, chief strategy officer at American Structurepoint, about how design-build and other alternative delivery methods are reshaping infrastructure development. Davidson explains how technologies like virtual and augmented reality are enhancing collaboration, improving project accuracy and helping both stakeholders and the public visualize infrastructure before it’s built. The episode wraps up with part two of the game Ahead or Behind and another geography lesson for Brandon.
Episode length: 52.46
About the guest: Steve Davidson is a professional engineer and the chief strategy officer from American Structurepoint. He's recognized as a leader in the alternative delivery industry. He's an expert in developing innovative design build and integrated delivery approaches to assist partners in designing and financing complex infrastructure projects.