Press Releases
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 1, 2026
Contact: (212) 839-4850, press@dot.nyc.gov
New Episode of NYC DOT's Curb Enthusiasm Podcast Features Discussion with Streetfilms Founder Clarence Eckerson Jr.
Second episode of the podcast’s second season features Streetfilms Founder Clarence Eckerson Jr., who has chronicled urban transportation design advancements locally, across the United States, and around the globe since 2005
The conversation focuses on the passion behind Streetfilms, Eckerson’s work covering the history of the 34th Avenue Open Street in Queens, innovative transportation projects around the world he’s seen, the value of Open Streets by schools, and much more
NEW YORK – New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Mike Flynn today announced the release of the second episode of the second season of the agency's Curb Enthusiasm podcast. The episode features an in-depth conversation with Clarence Eckerson Jr., who founded Streetfilms in 2005 and has chronicled the transformation of New York City’s streets over the last three decades, in addition to his front row observation of urban transportation around the globe. This episode’s discussion addresses many highlights of NYC DOT’s portfolio, including Sunnyside’s 34th Avenue Open Street, the subject of an upcoming hour-long documentary.
“Clarence Eckerson Jr. and Streetfilms need no introduction, and it’s an honor to have him appear on Curb Enthusiasm,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn. “He is a trailblazer in the urban transportation world who opens peoples’ eyes to what other cities around the world are doing with streets and public space and how that can succeed elsewhere. Clarence delivers an informative, creative, and entertaining platform to the transportation world and beyond.”
The episode also focuses on Streetfilms coverage of the Paris School Streets Initiative, the overall growth and benefits of New York’s Open Streets, the guest’s perspective from often filming while riding a bike, Low Traffic Neighborhoods and exterior boundary roads in London, traffic circulation advancements in Ghent, Belgium, as well as the daylighting, greening, and pedestrianization of Montreal, Eckerson’s favorite place to visit in North America. The co-hosts delve into the creative process behind Streetfilms, and Eckerson professes his affinity for center-running bike lanes in NYC.
Eckerson also briefly discusses the early history of pursuing a car-free Prospect Park and praises the continued evolution and expansion of NYC DOT’s Summer Streets. He also shares a story about how in 2008 the San Francisco Bike Coalition used his “Bogota, Ciclovia” film (2007) to convince the City of San Francisco, led by Mayor Gavin Newsom at the time, to implement a version of the car-free streets event. The conversation closes with Eckerson expressing his enthusiasm for there being a new mayor of NYC and a new NYC DOT commissioner, and portends that this will yield more unique bike lanes and more bus-only lanes overall.
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, and Sal Garro, coordinator of programming on the public realm team at NYC DOT.
Curb Enthusiasm is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Amazon Music, and other major streaming platforms. More information is available at nyc.gov/CurbEnthusiasm.
About Clarence Eckerson Jr.
A New York native, Clarence Eckerson Jr. founded Streetfilms in 2005, a project grown out of The Open Planning Project that produces short films highlighting smart transportation design and policy, particularly in urban spaces, around the world improve peoples’ lives. Streetfilms has tens of millions of views across several platforms since its inception. He worked for several media companies and eventually opened his own, Trorb Productions. Eckerson also created BikeTV in 2002, a cable show highlighting cycling in the five boroughs and beyond. He served for three years as the head of Transportation Alternatives’s Brooklyn Committee. Eckerson holds a bachelors’s degree in communications and media studies from the University of Albany.
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 Sal Garro, Episode Co-Host
Sal Garro is the coordinator of programming on the public realm team at the NYC Department of Transportation. He supports the planning and coordination of the Public Realm Programming initiative which connects public spaces, including Open Streets and Plazas, with local organizations to provide free and inclusive activities across the five boroughs. He leads the citywide harvest and Halloween-themed program, Trick-or-Streets, among other vital activations that engage communities and promote the positive use of public space. Since joining the agency in 2023, his role is rooted in community engagement and relationship building, as well as program development and implementation.
Sal received his bachelor's degree in visual and media arts from Emerson College. Prior to joining NYC DOT, he was the director of technical operations at Media 3 Ltd, a live broadcast facility in midtown Manhattan, and served as president of the Kensington Dog Run Association, a local advocacy group that successfully advocated for a dog park in Brooklyn.