building a better mobility future

mdlv group was founded by Mark de la Vergne to make it easier, safer, cleaner and more affordable for people and goods to get where they need to go. Over a twenty-plus year career, Mark has established himself as a leader in mobility innovation, with the unique ability to balance vision and pragmatism in a political environment. He is a trusted voice and has built his reputation on integrity and forward-looking ideas on transportation and technology and how they impact equity in cities and states.

about mdlv

Mark de la Vergne is nationally recognized for his experience in innovating and implementing new mobility solutions in cities and states, from bike lanes in Chicago (circa 2008) to connected automated roadways in Michigan (circa 2023). 

Mark started his career as a traditional traffic engineer in Chicago, cranking out traffic studies and widening suburban intersections. A light bulb went off in 2007 after reading “The High Cost of Free Parking”, and Mark pivoted his career to focusing on building better streets in cities. He served as the lead author on the Chicago Pedestrian Plan and was a critical member supporting Chicago’s efforts to become the most walkable and bikeable city in America. This experience went beyond transportation planning and engineering, but heavily influenced Mark in how to bring change to a city, both with internal staff and external stakeholders.

After getting the opportunity to work in a number of cities in North America, Mark was recruited by Mayor Mike Duggan in 2016 to create the Office of Mobility Innovation with the mission of launching new mobility services for all Detroiters and ensure the City served as a model partner with the private sector.  This office was the first of its kind for a city in the US and Mark established the playbook for how cities and the private sector can work together. By focusing on inclusive innovation, the outcome of this work was clear:  it became easier, safer and more affordable for all Detroiters to get where they need to go, compared to when he started.  Highlights of this work included expanding car share across the city, supporting the deployment of autonomous vehicle testing, installing the city’s first public EV fast chargers, launching bike share and scooters, leading the City’s transportation Covid-19 response by developing a transportation service to transport patients to the City’s testing site, and developing TNC and micromobility programs to support essential employees, developing a late-night transit service pilot for first/last mile taxi service, aligning fares among transit providers in Southeast Michigan and launching mobile payment, reorganizing city transportation services into one overall group, and raising over $11M in grants and philanthropy funding for mobility innovation efforts over three years. 

Most recently, Mark was the VP of External Affairs and Project Development at Cavnue, a start-up with the goal of unlocking roads for connected and automated vehicles. Mark launched the company’s first project in Michigan, was critical in building a nationwide pipeline of opportunities, including in Florida, Georgia, Texas, Tennessee, Michigan, and California, assisted with growing the company’s team and brand and was instrumental in raising $130M for Cavnue’s Series A.

services

Ideating

Have an idea but it still needs a little more baking? mdlv group is here to assist by serving as a sounding board that pokes holes, ideates further and ultimately creates a much better product than the starting point.

mdlv group works with government clients, non-profit organizations, start-ups, corporations, consultants, and other stakeholders in the transportation and mobility sectors providing advisory and consulting services.

Strategy

The success of any idea is dependent on the implementation strategy behind it. mdlv group leans on twenty years of success (and failures) to help clients build strategies that plan for the best case but are ready for the worst case.

Making Things Happen

Whether you’re in government or an early stage start-up, getting new projects through initial blockers is a challenge. mdlv group specializes in helping clients through these mucky terrains to ensure that great ideas can achieve great outcomes, from relationships to funding to communications.