Ryan Wanttaja, General Counsel

Portrait of Ryan Wanttaja

Ryan Wanttaja joined NYC DOT as General Counsel in 2023, where he oversees the agency's Legal Affairs divisions, including the offices of the General Counsel, Litigation, Records Management and FOIL, Environmental Compliance and Assessment, and Cityscape and Franchises.

Prior to working for NYC DOT, Mr. Wanttaja spent over a decade at the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC), where he served in several positions including First Deputy Commissioner, Acting Commissioner, and General Counsel. At TLC, Mr. Wanttaja led the agency's Legal and Policy divisions, advancing first-in-the nation initiatives addressing data collection, wheelchair accessibility, driver pay, and the electrification of the City's fleet of for-hire vehicles.

Mr. Wanttaja holds a law degree from Cardozo School of Law, a Master of Arts degree in Philosophy from Virginia Tech, and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Political Science from Bloomsburg University. A Phoenix, Arizona native, Mr. Wanttaja is a long-time Brooklyn resident where he lives with his wife and daughter.