Nicholas Aiello, P.E., PTOE, PTP, serves as Lead Engineer for the Safety Engineering Team in the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Traffic Safety Division, where he plays a central role in making Texas roadways among the safest in the nation for all users—including people who walk and bicycle. With 15 years of progressive experience in traffic safety and operations, Nicholas oversees the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), helps implement Texas’ Strategic Highway Safety Plan and Road to Zero goals, manages traffic-safety research initiatives, and leads systemic safety programs that have delivered proven countermeasures such as high-visibility crosswalks, pedestrian hybrid beacons, leading pedestrian intervals, and bicycle-friendly road diets across the state. A licensed Professional Engineer (PE), Professional Traffic Operations Engineer (PTOE), and Professional Transportation Planner (PTP), Nicholas previously spent over a decade in private-sector consulting, delivering traffic impact studies, safety analyses, and multimodal design solutions for municipalities, counties, state DOTs, and developers nationwide. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Known for translating complex crash data into practical, equitable safety improvements, Nicholas is a trusted voice on Vision Zero, complete streets integration, and data-driven approaches that reduce severe crashes for vulnerable road users in both urban and rural Texas environments.