Since 1989, John has played a key role in strengthening the policy base for modern approaches to transport planning in Melbourne in local government and in the community sector.  His work at GAMUT is centred on creating linkages and improving knowledge transfer to these sectors, and continuing research into best practice for public transport planning in Australasian cities. He recently gained a grant from the 2008 Land Transport New Zealand research program to continue this work in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

Beforing coming to GAMUT in April 2007, John completed PhD studies at Swinburne University. His research on "Political factors in the decline of mass transit: an investigation of failure in through comparisons with Perth and Vancouver" was supported by an APAI scholarship with local government industry partners. The thesis compares the political and institutional landscape surrounding public transport reform in Melbourne, Perth and Vancouver since the 1970s.

In 1998, John wrote Melbourne's first modern local government Integrated Transport Strategy for Moreland City Council and worked on the Council staff to see the Strategy adopted and implemented.

He has published a number of important pieces of research and analysis of Melbourne's transport system, and has debated the professional planning community in its own forums and in the wider community.

Between 1989 and 1997, John was part of the management team of Environment Victoria, Victoria's peak community environment advocacy group.