on Jan 17, 2024
Senior Advisor, Carl Weisbrod named PoliticsNY Transportation Power Player
Senior Advisor, Carl Weisbrod named PoliticsNY Transportation Power Player
This excerpt was originally published in PoliticsNY’s Transportation Power Players Announcement.
Senior Advisor, HR&A Advisors
Carl’s distinguished 40-year career in public service and urban development has been dedicated to building accessible, resilient, and economically vibrant communities. An internationally-sought after expert on city planning, affordable housing policy, and public-private real estate development, Carl has guided some of New York’s most significant public agencies and transformative development initiatives in leadership roles at HR&A Advisors, as chairman of the NYC Planning Commission, and as director of the NYC Department of City Planning.
Why did you pursue a career in transportation?
Transportation is one essential component of a highly functioning urban environment along with planning, economic development, education, and social equity. As we look to the future, I want to continue asking how transportation – particularly public transportation – can most effectively contribute to the lifeblood of a functioning, connected, resilient, and equitable urban environment.
What is your favorite travel experience?
It is certainly not sitting in a traffic jam!
What transportation improvement would you like to see completed in the future?
After serving as the chair of the MTA’s Traffic Mobility Review Board, I was pleased with MTA’s recent embrace of our recommendations, leading to the nation’s first congestion pricing plan. It’s a transformative change in how people will experience New York City and the region, with the expected easing of traffic that will significantly improve transit times along with reduced carbon emissions and increased use of public transit while providing critical funding for public transportation infrastructure.
What is your preferred method of transportation?
As a lifelong New Yorker, of course, my favorite mode of transit is the subway. It’s the largest and most iconic transit system in the world, and I’m proud to have navigated most of my life traveling along its many routes. Its daily riders reflect the diversity of the city’s residents and visitors. Its pace and density reflect the excitement and rhythm of New York – the world’s greatest city.
See other Transportation Power Players here.