Eric Lind has been named the next director of the Accessibility Observatory at the Center for Transportation Studies. He began in the role on February 27.
Lind formerly served as manager of research and analytics at Metro Transit. He joined that agency in 2017 as a senior data scientist and was promoted in 2018. From 2011 to 2017, Lind worked as a researcher with the Nutrient Network program at the University of Minnesota’s College of Biological Sciences. Prior to that, he held various positions in research and data systems with nonprofit organizations and educational institutions.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Eric aboard as director of the Accessibility Observatory,” said Kyle Shelton, director of CTS. “His extensive background in data systems and analysis—and application of those skills as a proven leader in transportation—will be of enormous value to CTS and the research community.”
The Accessibility Observatory is the nation's leading resource for the research and application of accessibility-based transportation system evaluation. Accessibility, which examines both land use and transportation systems, measures how many destinations, such as jobs, can be reached in a given time.
“I’m honored to be returning to the University of Minnesota to lead this talented team of transportation researchers,” Lind said. “Mobility is central to the economic, social, and civic challenges of our society, and the nationally known work of the Accessibility Observatory informs our ability to effectively connect with opportunity and one another.”
Lind earned a PhD in behavior, ecology, evolution, and systematics from the University of Maryland and holds a BS in biology from Georgetown University. He has served as a member of the Transportation Research Board’s transit data committee since 2021. Lind lives in Minneapolis with his partner Christianne, three boys, and a beagle.