One Engineer’s Mission to Improve Transportation Safety and Equity
The startling fact that drives transportation planning and design expert Ben Waldman: by order of magnitude, the most dangerous thing most of us do daily is travel by car. Getting into transportation engineering started as a “fortunate accident” but became Ben’s life’s work—making meaningful changes toward safer, more inclusive transportation infrastructure in his community and beyond.
“People light up when I mention my work,” Ben reflects. “The projects I work on, like Vision Zero and Safe Routes to School, improve safety and expand multimodal transportation options. The goal is making it easier for everyone to access their community, whether driving, cycling, walking, or taking public transit. A couple of the road safety audits I recently completed in Denver, Colorado, were near my parents’ house where I grew up and my house where I live with my wife and three boys, who are all driving age. Knowing I’m helping make our transportation system safe for them and my community makes me feel good.”
Ben brings 28 years of experience across the public and consulting sectors. Dedicated to advancing the industry itself, Ben has been involved with the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) since college. He currently serves as the ITE Mountain District International Director, collaborating with other thought leaders to drive progress globally.
“ITE has been a big part of my career,” Ben explains. “It’s given me the chance to step into leadership roles early on and keep learning as the industry evolves. I’m passionate about mentorship and DEI, helping people from diverse backgrounds carve a career in the transportation industry. The current focus of ITE is finalizing our Safety Action Plan, which will include more webinars, technical resources, and continuing education opportunities around safety. These changes will have a ripple effect across the industry.”
Looking ahead, Ben is excited about using big data to improve transportation safety. By helping agencies build intelligent transportation systems (ITS) and develop accessible dashboards, he’s helping make metrics more actionable for informed decision-making. Ben’s commitment to working with professionals across the industry to advance transportation safety and equity exemplifies Consor’s core value of collaboration.
