Alumna Monica van Luven
Public Transport Specialist | Goudappel
My name is Monica and I work as a consultant in the public transport specialist team at the consultancy firm Goudappel.
What does your company do?
At Goudappel, we assist clients in making choices for the development of a sustainable society in which every individual can get around comfortably. There are several teams within Goudappel that each have expertise on a different element of the mobility equation, such as mobility and space, policy and behavioral research, and of course, public transport. In the public transport team, we work on solutions to improve public transport at various levels, from defining future international rail connections to making improvements to the routing of local bus lines. This involves combining available data, models, and expert knowledge while maintaining a wider view of public transport’s role in our mobility system to come to a solution.
How does what you do impact the lives of everyday people?
There is a direct link between the projects that our team works on and societal welfare. Public transport contributes to all dimensions of societal welfare, such as social inclusivity, sustainability and climate goals, quality of life and of our built environment, and economic vitality. It helps reduce the number of cars on the road and keeps our cities liveable, provides accessibility to important destinations such as work, school and healthcare, and acts as a lifeline for people who have no other mobility option. Everyone in society benefits from public transport, even people who do not use it themselves. The Goudappel public transport team helps clients improve public transport and ensure that it reaches its full potential.
What was your first position in the job market?
My first position in the job market was as an analyst at a bus operator in my home state of California. There I worked on improvements to public transport at a tactical and operational level. Some examples of projects I worked on are a bus stop improvement project, a system-wide analysis to inform future network planning, and schedule updates to better serve the local schools.
What skill sets do you need as a civil engineer?
In addition to technical proficiency, one of the most important skills for a civil engineer is critical thinking. As civil engineers, we solve problems by taking in the relevant information and piecing it together to find a solution. Communication is also an important part of our job, as we have to be able to communicate and discuss our solutions with various stakeholders.
Why are civil engineers so important for the future?
As the world becomes more and more urbanized, we need solutions to accommodate future growth while still meeting climate goals and ensuring that we create a society where everyone can participate and prosper. We are now in the process of designing the world for future generations, and civil engineers play a crucial role in how the built environment will function and impact their quality of life.