Richard D. Wilder, P.E
Deputy Chief Engineer and Director of the Office of Design,
New York State Department of Transportation
Richard D. Wilder, P.E., has 31 years of experience at the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT). As Office Director, Richard oversees the Department’s design consultant management in-house design development, terrain mapping, land surveying, CADD support, quality assurance, and rail capital delivery. He is responsible for ensuring the successful delivery of over $2 billion annually in capital projects and providing technical support, standards, policies, procedures, and oversight for nearly 1,000 engineers, architects, and technicians across the 11 NYSDOT Regional Design Groups.
Wilder possesses extensive experience and expertise in engineering management and transportation projects, with significant involvement in major capital endeavors. Notably, he has contributed to projects such as the Van Wyck Expressway, Arthur Sheridan Boulevard, Hunts Point, I-81 Viaduct, NYS Fairgrounds Access Improvement, and the elimination of seven grade crossings in the Long Island Rail-Road 3rd Track Project. Currently, he is actively engaged in the NY 33 Kensington Expressway, BQE, and the Gateway Hudson Tunnel.
He served for ten years on AASHTO's Technical Committee on Roadside Safety and has been a member of the AASHTO Technical Committee on Geometric Design for twelve years. Additionally, he is the lead author of Chapter 3 – "Elements of Design" in AASHTO's A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets.
Wilder previously held the position of Director of the Design Services Bureau, where he supervised a team of over 60 licensed professionals and technical staff. The Design Services Bureau is an award-winning, in-house production group that leads the nation in model-based capital project delivery.
He was born in northern New York and launched his career in Long Island. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Maine, Orono, Maine, and has held his Professional Engineer license since 1996. Throughout his career, Richard has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership, technical prowess, and an unwavering commitment to the successful delivery of transportation projects.