Press Releases
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 27, 2025
Contact: (212) 839-4850, press@dot.nyc.gov
New Episode of NYC DOT's Curb Enthusiasm Podcast Features Professor Wes Marshall
Marshall Is the Author of Killed by a Traffic Engineer: Shattering the Delusion that Science Underlies our Transportation System
The Conversation Focuses on the Critical Role of Engineering in Traffic Safety, How Planners and Engineers React to Traffic Deaths, and the Value of Empirical Science and Research in Designing Streets
NEW YORK – New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez today announced the release of the sixth episode of the agency's Curb Enthusiasm podcast. The episode features Wes Marshall, PhD, PE, author of Killed by a Traffic Engineer: Shattering the Delusion that Science Underlies our Transportation System, and a professor of civil engineering at University of Colorado Denver. The conversation focuses on the critical role of engineers in designing streets with safety in mind, how transportation officials can analyze traffic deaths to better address underlying safety threats, the importance of following empirical data, and the need to focus on vehicle design.
"The Curb Enthusiasm podcast always broadens the discussion on what works best in the transportation world," said NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. "This episode featuring prominent academic and author Wes Marshall takes a deep dive into the science, research, and data that needs to go into road designs and what the future of civil engineering education should be."
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 co-hosted by Emily Weidenhof, assistant commissioner of public realm at NYC DOT, and Nick Carey, traffic engineer and director of school safety at NYC DOT.
Curb Enthusiasm is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Amazon Music, BuzzSprout and other major streaming platforms. More information is available at nyc.gov/CurbEnthusiasm.
About Wes Marshall, PhD/PE
Wes Marshall, PhD, PE, is a professor of civil engineering at the University of Colorado Denver, where he holds a joint appointment in urban planning. He also serves as director of the CU Denver Human-Centered Transportation Program and the Transportation Research Center.
Marshall authored the 2024 book Killed by a Traffic Engineer: Shattering the Delusion that Science Underlies our Transportation System. He is also credited with more than 80 peer-reviewed journal publications and book chapters, and has received millions of dollars in research funding. He is also the only three-time winner of the CU Denver College of Engineering Outstanding Faculty in Teaching Award. A Massachusetts native, Wes earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Virginia (BS) and a Master of Science and PhD from the University of Connecticut (MS and PhD).
About Emily Weidenhof, Episode Co-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.
About Nick Carey, Episode Co-Host
Nick Carey is the director of school safety at NYC DOT, where he leads a multidisciplinary team focused on redesigning streets to enhance safety for the city's youth. Over his 13 years at the Department of Transportation, Nick has worked to bridge the gap between city planning and transportation engineering, demonstrating that even small adjustments to something as intangible as traffic signal timing can lead to profound improvements in quality of life. Originally from the Bay Area, Nick studied civil engineering at Portland State University.