Alex Garbier: Finding Clarity in Complexity

We’re an interconnected nationwide team, but we each have our own reasons for being passionate about the work we do. This month, get to know Alex Garbier, a Senior Engineering Associate in our Boston office.

What’s your background, and how did you end up at Kittelson?

I came to transportation through a nontraditional path. My undergraduate degree was in economics, and after college I worked for the federal government doing budgeting work during the recession. At the time, it was simply a job, but it ended up being great preparation for what I do now. I spent a lot of time working with complex data sets that did not always align and figuring out how to translate them into something useful.

While living and working in Washington, DC, I walked and biked everywhere and started paying closer attention to how the city was changing, especially as new bike infrastructure was built. That sparked my interest in transportation as a profession. I also had great early exposure to thinking about how we move through the world from my landscape architect parents, and an understanding of the wonderful world of curbs and gutters!

I decided to go back to grad school and interned at both Kittelson and SFMTA. I ended up coming back to Kittelson as a place where I could work on a wide range of interesting and challenging projects. I started in the Oakland office, later moved to Boston, and have been with the firm for about eight years. What has kept me here is that the work stays engaging. I wanted to be challenged and not repeat the same work year after year, and that has very much been my experience.

These days, a lot of my life outside of work centers on being a parent. I have two kids, a fouryearold and a oneyearold, so that shapes how I spend most of my time. Being outside is still really important to me, even if I do not get to do everything I used to.

I enjoy biking and, when possible, do a lot of running. One of my favorite things recently is using our ecargo bike, which we got last year. As the weather gets nicer in Boston, we bike to playgrounds, grab coffee, and get around the city together as a family. Having young kids has also changed how I experience transportation more broadly. It has made me much more aware of accessibility, especially when navigating sidewalks and curb ramps with a stroller.

What parts of your work do you find most energizing or rewarding?

Early in my career, I was especially energized by challenging analytical problems, and I still enjoy that aspect of the work. Over time, what I have found most rewarding is working with clients who come to us with questions they are genuinely curious about and who are looking for a partner to help them resolve their issue, even better if they’ve identified why it’s hard. 

Consulting is fundamentally about helping people solve problems. The most interesting projects tend to be the ones where the questions are complex and the client has a clear sense of what they want to explore, rather than work that is driven purely by process. Those projects lead to better collaboration and more meaningful outcomes, which is what I find most energizing.

When things get busy or stressful, what practice helps you stay grounded and effective?

I try to be intentional about carving out space to focus on one thing at a time. At work, that might mean blocking off a couple of hours to concentrate on reviewing something or thinking through a problem without distractions. Outside of work, it means making time to do one thing without feeling pulled in multiple directions.

There is always a lot competing for attention, especially in consulting and in the broader world. I try to balance staying engaged with what is happening while also giving myself enough space to be effective and present. Talking with other people helps a lot too. Even just realizing that others are navigating the same stress can be grounding. 

How do you stay connected and collaborate meaningfully with team members across offices and time zones?

I tend to err on the side of having more regular checkins with people in other offices rather than fewer. Scheduled conversations help build relationships and make collaboration easier over time. If I notice I am sending multiple messages back and forth with someone, that is usually a sign that we should just talk.

Smaller meetings, like one-on-one or one-to-two conversations, are especially valuable; it’s much easier to build real connections in smaller settings. As the firm has grown, being intentional about cross-office relationships has become more important and harder. I often encourage people, especially junior staff, to find a reason to visit another office, explain what they do, and learn what others are working on. Those connections do not happen automatically anymore.

What excites you most about the future of transportation?

I am most excited by how electric technology has expanded access to smallscale mobility, including ebikes, scooters, and other devices. Those changes have already reshaped how people get around in certain places, and there is a lot of potential as they spread beyond core urban areas. I remember doing a project when I started where we had to make an (educated) guess at what the world would look like if everyone had access to an e-bike. That world became a reality far quicker than I expected. 

I am also aware that our transportation system could soon be transformed by automated vehicles (the long-promised but maybe arriving technology). There are some promising indications that they could lead to safer travel on roads, and potential to improve mobility for people who cannot or do not want to drive. However, it could also lead to an explosion of driving and new forms of congestion; not to mention major changes to employment structures. I’m not sure if excited is the right word, but it’s something like that. 

Fast Lane Facts:

Fun fact about you?

I once ran a 4:15 mile, and I have completed two bike rides over 90 miles, but I have never quite made it to 100 (because Mike Alston convinced me it’s not worth it).

Favorite way to fuel for a deadline?

Peanut M&Ms

Handwritten or digital notes?

Handwritten for personal life and digital for work, mostly because I need to be able to find things again.

A book, podcast, or show you’ve been into lately?

Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin