The national search for Oakland’s first permanent director for the Department of Transportation has come to a close. Transport Oakland is thrilled to welcome Ryan Russo to Oakland and see the City take this important step towards a fully functional Department of Transportation.
Meet Ryan: Innovative Street Designer, Vision Zero Champion
Ryan Russo has served as a Deputy Commissioner at the NYC Department of Transportation since 2003, where he led such high profile projects as the midtown Broadway redesign and the Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn. During Ryan’s tenure at NYCDOT, the City completed over 600 miles of bike lanes and brought traffic deaths to a 100-year low. Ryan even has roots in the Bay Area, where he completed his Master’s Degree in City and Regional Planning at UC Berkeley in 2001. Ryan is a powerful voice in the National Association of City Transportation Officials, and in April 2014, he was a part of NACTO’s Cities for Cycling Roadshow in Oakland.
We’re particularly excited about Ryan’s work with New York City’s Vision Zero initiative to eliminate all severe and fatal traffic injuries. OakDOT’s Strategic Plan has a goal of establishing this same policy (and will also benefit from WalkSF’s Executive Director Nicole Ferrara who also recently announced she is coming to OakDOT). We know Ryan’s public administration experience working in a big city agency to get transformative projects on the ground will benefit OakDOT.
From Ryan’s first statement as OakDOT Director: “Great streets are equitable streets. Streets must work for everyone and be safe no matter where in Oakland they live or how they get around. I’m humbled by this appointment, excited by Mayor Schaaf’s vision for the city, and am looking forward to working with Oakland to bring that vision to every neighborhood.”
Welcome, Ryan!