Press Releases
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 6, 2025
Contact: (212) 839-4850, press@dot.nyc.gov
Deputy Commissioner Eric Beaton Discusses the Importance of Data in Transportation Planning on Latest Episode of NYC DOT's Curb Enthusiasm Podcast
Beaton Oversees the Design of City Streets, Vision Zero Safety Projects, the Development of the Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Public Safety Program, As Well as the Implementation of Select Bus Service and Transit Priority Projects Alongside the MTA/NYC Transit
The Conversation Focuses on the Types of Data DOT Collects, How It Informs Transportation Planning, Why Feelings Don’t Always Match Research Findings, and More
NEW YORK – New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez today announced the release of the eighth episode of the agency's Curb Enthusiasm podcast. The episode features Eric Beaton, NYC DOT's Deputy Commissioner for Transportation Planning and Management (TPM), with over 18 years of service at the agency. This first installment of the conversation focuses on the type of data NYC DOT collects, how it informs transportation planning, why feelings may not align with traffic data, and more. The remaining half of the conversation will be released at a future date.
"Every day the work of NYC DOT touches the lives of every New Yorker as soon as they walk out the door," said NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. "Deputy Commissioner Eric Beaton oversees a division at NYC DOT that is at the forefront of the many great initiatives where NYC DOT is a national and world leader, including street redesigns and Vision Zero. I encourage everyone to listen to this episode to gain better insight to how NYC DOT makes decisions that affect everyone's streets and lives on a daily basis."
During the podcast, Beaton discusses the use of data, both traditional traffic counts taken from road counters to a latest anonymized origin-destination vehicle data, to inform NYC DOT in addressing roads and intersection design. It also covers the use of data to improve curb management practices by determining vehicle use and parking practices through anonymized sensor and license plate technology. Beaton discusses the importance of combining the resulting data from a project with observations and feelings from local communities to build a more complete narrative about the impacts of a project.
The Curb Enthusiasm podcast focuses on issues at the local, national, and international level and features guests who discuss the most consequential transportation work happening all over the globe.
The episode is hosted by Emily Weidenhof, assistant commissioner of public realm at NYC DOT.
Curb Enthusiasm is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, and other major streaming platforms.
About Eric Beaton
Eric Beaton serves as NYC DOT's Deputy Commissioner for Transportation Planning and Management (TPM), and oversees the design of city streets, the City's Vision Zero street safety program, development of bicycle, pedestrian, and public space programs, and the implementation of Select Bus Service and other transit priority projects in partnership with the MTA. Beaton's TPM division also includes the units responsible for the installation and maintenance of the city's 225 million linear feet of roadway markings, as well as production, installation, and maintenance of over one million street signs citywide. Eric has worked at DOT for over 18 years in a variety of roles, most recently as Senior Director for Transit Development. In this role, he worked in partnership with the MTA to build a program making the city's buses faster, more reliable, and easier to use through the use of improved fare collection, dedicated bus lanes, transit signal priority, real time passenger information, and other mobility and safety treatments.
Eric earned a Bachelor's Degree from Cornell University, and well as a Master's Degree in Urban Planning from Harvard University's Graduate School of Design.
About Emily Weidenhof, Episode Host
Emily Weidenhof is assistant commissioner of public realm at NYC DOT. Emily works closely with community organizations throughout the five boroughs to transform their streets as public space. For over a decade, she has focused on strengthening communities through the creation of plazas and shared streets and retooling the curb lane for innovative programming. She's also played an integral role in NYC DOT's Broadway Vision Plan, which employs a range of tools to reimagine the famed Manhattan corridor from Union Square to Columbus Circle, which now prioritizes pedestrians and cyclists. Emily has worked as an architect and urban designer in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, including at the NYC Department of City Planning.
Emily received her bachelor's degree in architecture from Pennsylvania State University and her master's degree in architecture and urban design from Columbia University.