M. Eng. Alfredo García Vega

I consider myself an urban mobility enthusiast. That said, I have loved cars since I was a child and always dreamed of owning one. I used to play with toy cars and design the roads they travelled on. In fact, I became a civil engineer largely because I wanted to build bridges. I earned a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, UANL (Autonomous University of Nuevo León), in 2013. In 2021, I earned a master’s degree in Engineering with a specialization in Traffic and Highway Engineering from the same university During this master I changed my mind about Urban Mobility, I understood that it is better to move more people instead of moving just more cars.

I began my professional career in the private sector. One of my first jobs, in 2014, involved supporting the construction of a bridge for cars located here 25°41'21"N 100°14'22"W. It forms part of the expressway connecting the municipality of San Pedro Garza García with Monterrey International Airport. I have also worked as a Civil Engineering lecturer at the Universidad del Valle de México, UVM (University of the Valley of Mexico).

My experience in the public sector has been equally rewarding. I worked for the Sustainable Urban Development Department of the municipality of San Pedro Garza García. I later joined the Sistema Integral para el Tránsito Metropolitano, SINTRAM (Comprehensive Metropolitan Traffic System), where I helped manage and monitor traffic signals throughout the Monterrey Metropolitan Area (MMA). My next position was with the municipality of Apodaca, working for the Ecology, Public facilities administration, and Traffic management department. I especially enjoyed this job because I was able to contribute to the planning of cycle routes for residents of Apodaca and the wider metropolitan area. I believe the MMA is sufficiently dense to support cycling; what we need is stronger intermodality between public transport and active mobility.

I have participated in two major conferences: the 11th Congreso Nacional de Ciclismo Urbano (11th National Congress on Urban Cycling) in 2019 and the 21st Congreso Latinoamericano de Transporte Público y Urbano, CLATPU (21st Latin American Congress on Public and Urban Transport) in 2021.

In 2022, I travelled to Europe motu proprio. My main objective was to prepare for the IELTS exam, so I studied for six months at the London School of Commerce, LSC in Malta. Although I completed the course, I did not yet feel confident enough to take the exam, so I remained in the United Kingdom for another six months. During that period, I took part in five volunteering projects across England and Scotland. In my second month, I bought a folding bicycle, which allowed me to experience British cities and their transport systems from a different perspective. I travelled by train, Underground, double-decker bus, car as a passenger, bicycle, and on foot. I particularly enjoyed walking along natural trails and pedestrian routes.

In October 2023, I flew to Malta again to complete my IELTS preparation and take the exam. I received private lessons from my wonderful South African teacher, Ms Lee, and later completed my final preparation with my favourite Canadian teacher, Christopher Ciappara. I took the speaking test in late November and completed the remaining sections of the exam on 2 December. After that I returned to Monterrey on 8 December 2023. In February 2024, I began working for Integration Engineering and Construction Systems, IECOS, as an Engineering Manager, alongside some of my old friends.

Since September 2025, I have been pursuing a new endeavour. I am currently studying a double-degree Master of Science programme in Sustainable Urban Mobility Transitions at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, UPC, in Spain, and Eindhoven University of Technology, TU/e, in the Netherlands. This programme is offered through EIT Urban Mobility, an initiative of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, EIT, a body of the European Union.

This is a very brief account of my journey. Thanks for reading! (:

https://uanl.academia.edu/AlfredoGarciaVega