Member spotlight: John Mark Lucas
Meet John Mark Lucas, Transportation Programs Manager at the University of Minnesota. Check out the spotlight below to learn about his current role, industry experience, and introduction to ACT.
Please introduce yourself and your organization.
I’ve been with the University of Minnesota since early 2022. Our Parking and Transportation Services group facilitates everything that walks and rolls around campus. I've grown my role from manager of "alternative transportation" programs to reviewing all of our TDM practices. The UMN has 55,000+ students and about 25,000 employees, plus medical centers that generate significant travel demand. So our campus is a city within a city. Starting in 2023, we provide free transit passes to all students and staff. I am helping UMN to reach its goal of being carbon neutral by 2050.
What brought you to TDM and how did you get involved in the field?
I come from the Transportation Engineering and Planning world. I’ve done plenty of traffic impact and highway improvements, but we can never build our way out of our traffic problems. TDM plans have always been part of my consulting toolbox, and I've always advocated for alternative modes of transportation. Working for the UMN gives me a chance to put into practice the philosophy that has always framed my consulting. I am able to build a bike share program, develop a bike library for students who don't already own bikes, and rapidly grow the EV charging system on campus.
Why did you get involved in ACT?
ACT exposes members to all of our various skills and knowledge to address travel demand during planning – not just solve the downstream problems that can arise.
Getting to meet my Higher Education and Midwest peers and my local Twin Cities TDM practitioners at the last ACT International Conference in 2023 (my first ACT event!) was fruitful and fun. After a day of learning and seriousness, it was fun to visit Seattle and share meals.
Do it! Transportation affects everyone, because it is a part of everyone's day, and because of the impact it has on cities and the environment. Transportation for all presents complex issues. Membership will give you a great insight on all the factors that affect our travel choices and how we can best meet everyone's travel needs.
Like any organization, it always needs to stay current and relevant. It is a fairly young discipline so it draws from the knowledge and skills of all related professions, including engineering, management, human resources and on to biosciences. The challenge will be to not be so defined in what we do that we start separating from these other disciplines, and lose these external knowledge bases.