David Cooper is the Principal of Leading Mobility Consulting, specializing in transit infrastructure planning, policy, and safety across North America. With over 20 years of experience, his work focuses on advancing equitable, practical solutions to complex transit challenges, including system expansion, service delivery, and emerging safety issues related to mental health, homelessness, and substance use. He is recognized for bridging policy, planning, and operations to help governments and agencies deliver more inclusive and resilient transit systems.
He has contributed to major transportation initiatives across Canada, including the Ontario Line and King Street Transit Priority Pilot in Toronto, the Broadway Subway Project and battery-electric bus program in Metro Vancouver, and LRT and BRT expansions in Calgary. David authored Canada’s first national transit safety recommendations, released on Parliament Hill in 2023, and produced a national documentary to advance intergovernmental dialogue. He also co-authored the first national study on understanding and responding to the transit needs of women, and the first major study examining the impacts of drug use on transit systems. In addition, he led the development of CUTA’s COVID-19 National Recovery Strategy, which helped secure $1.6B in emergency funding to sustain transit service.
Beyond his professional practice, David is an educator and mentor, having taught transportation planning and policy at several universities and supported the development of future planners. His contributions have been nationally recognized, including awards from the Canadian Institute of Planners, the Canadian Urban Transit Association, and Mass Transit’s Top 40 Under 40 in North America.