Curb Enthusiasm | Ep 4: Building Better Bike Networks with NACTO Executive Director Ryan Russo

On this episode, Emily Weidenhof is joined by Shawn Macias, director of the bike unit at NYC DOT, for a conversation with National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) Executive Director Ryan Russo. The conversation focuses on the process of building bike networks in cities across the country, the role equity plays in transportation planning, how streets serve different road users, the impact of public support and outreach on projects, and so much more.

Episode Chapters:
01:22 - What NACTO Is and Why It Is Important?
02:43 - Cities Doing Inspirational Work in Transportation
04:17 - Differences Working at NYC DOT, Oakland DOT, and NACTO
06:23 - How Different Roles Can Affect Your View on Leadership
08:19 - How Ryan Got Involved in the Transportation Field
10:00 - Listeners, We Want To Hear From You!
10:39 - Biggest Challenges in Rolling Out Bike Infrastructure
13:01 - Emerging Trends That Urban Planners Should Keep in Mind
13:38 - Exciting Changes to the Urban Bikeway Design Guide
15:57 - Who Should Look at the Urban Bikeway Design Guide?
16:57 - Differences in Urban Planning Practices on the East Coast Versus the West Coast
19:59 - Balancing the Scales and Achieving Success in Project Implementation
22:05 - Metrics That Urban Planners Should Look Into To Make a Stronger Case for Implementation
23:54 - How To Gain the Support of Skeptics
25:20 - How Messaging Impacts Buy-In For Transportation Projects
26:35 - Greatest Challenges in Micro-mobility andTransportation Planning
29:36 - Ryan's Biggest Breach of Subway Etiquette
31:39 - What Ryan Is Enthusiastic About for the Future of Transportation