Getting to Know Dan Hennessey: Santa Rosa’s Director of Transportation and Public Works
After a challenging budget crisis and major reorganization over the summer, the City of Santa Rosa made a strategic leadership shift: the Southeast Greenway will now be managed by Dan Hennessey. An energetic leader with a hands-on approach, Dan brings experience in urban planning, active transportation, and large-scale infrastructure projects. After joining a Guided Walk on the Greenway, Dan shared his perspective about the project.
Q: What stands out to you about the property?
A: What really stands out is how different this park is going to be. It’s linear, stretching across neighborhoods, and the natural landscape really defines how people will experience it. As we walked from west to east, I noticed that the western sections offer a lot of flexibility—space for programming, access points, and opportunities for various park elements. The eastern sections are more constrained: there are dense strands of trees, hills, and some narrow pinch points that will shape what’s possible.
Even as the master plan develops, I’m thinking about ways to start activating the park sooner rather than later. The city is always in need of places where people can gather, recreate, and connect with each other. If we can find ways to get people out on the property safely, enjoying it, that’s a real win. This is something we can start doing while the larger plan continues to take shape.
Q: Have you worked on a project like this before, or something similar?
A: Before moving to Santa Rosa, I worked in Austin, where one of the major projects I was involved with was the Waller Creek Greenway—a 25-block downtown linear park connected to a major tunnel and flood-control project. That project was complex: it required significant infrastructure improvements, coordination across multiple city departments—parks, transportation, public works, planning—and extensive public-private partnerships and fundraising.
The key insight was how urban design can reshape the way people interact with a space. We shifted developments so that instead of turning their backs to the creek, buildings faced it. That natural activation of the space—just putting people in it, giving them a reason to be there—created a vibrant, usable park.
It was also a lesson in phasing. The project took roughly 20 years from conception, but we didn’t wait for every single piece to be perfect. We implemented elements as soon as we could. That taught me the value of moving forward thoughtfully but proactively, finding opportunities where resources and staff availability allow, and balancing short-term wins with long-term planning.
Q: The Bicycle Coalition named you a Civic Bike Leader for 2025. They wrote, ‘Director Hennessey blew us out of the water with his laser-like focus on systemic infrastructure changes that decrease the ability of drivers to drive at unsafe speeds and that separate cyclists and pedestrians from vehicles.’ Can you talk about some of the ways we can make infrastructure safer?
A: Safety is built into everything we do, and it doesn’t compete with other priorities. Often, that means redesigning streets to slow traffic and create clear, separated spaces for cyclists and pedestrians. Narrowing lanes, tighter turns, and well-designed bike lanes reduce risks without creating congestion. My goal is simple: I want to eliminate crashes that result in fatalities and serious injuries. People make mistakes, and if we can make those mistakes survivable for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians alike, we’re doing our job.
Projects like the Southeast Greenway are part of this vision. They provide off-street paths connecting neighborhoods, giving people safe alternatives and activating properties along the route. Even short walks or casual rides help create a culture of safe, active transportation.
Q: You’ve been described as someone who “gets things done”. How does that mindset shape your approach to running the Transportation and Public Works Department?
A: I spent 13 years as a consultant helping municipalities plan, design, and program improvements. I also spent three years in Austin with the city government, where I often encountered very cautious decision-making. My philosophy is that it’s okay to make mistakes in service of helping people. You don’t have to be 100% right—95% right is enough, and the occasional error is part of learning. Admit your mistake and move forward.
When I started in Santa Rosa, there were funds sitting idle on projects with no viable path forward. Over the last year, we reallocated eight figures worth of that money to projects that could actually deliver improvements. It’s not flashy, but it’s practical problem-solving: making sure resources don’t sit unused while the community waits for progress.
Q: How does the Southeast Greenway fit into the larger picture for Active Transportation in Sonoma County?
A: It’s a huge opportunity. Multiple miles of off-street paths connect neighborhoods, offer alternatives to congested streets, and activate adjacent properties. Even if people just walk their dogs or take an evening stroll, having people in the park reinforces its value.
It also ties into a larger citywide and regional network—eventually connecting to Sonoma, Sebastopol, and neighborhoods across the city. This isn’t just a recreational asset; it’s a transportation asset. It changes how people navigate the eastern side of the city, where creeks and hills make connections tricky. The Greenway can give people more choices in how they move around and experience their neighborhoods.
Q: On the Guided Walks, people often ask if we could just build the bike path first, even as other parts of the park are planned. How do you approach balancing early activation with long-term planning?
A: Every decision to activate a portion of the park becomes an input to the master plan—it informs and constrains future options. But we shouldn’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Even small interventions—benches, public art, or a playground—can start getting people into the space, and that has benefits for the community while the broader plan unfolds. It’s about being strategic and intentional, balancing early engagement with careful design.
Q: What role can community groups like ours play in helping the City succeed on projects of this scale?
A: Community energy and advocacy are critical. Groups like yours know the neighborhood, the history, and the relationships. That knowledge helps staff engage effectively and ensure that planning and design decisions reflect real community needs.
Building the Greenway is a long-term, multi-decade effort that will involve funding from many sources. Community groups can help us identify opportunities for grants, philanthropy, or future ballot measures. Early engagement ensures the project is viable. In short, you do a lot of the groundwork for us if we let you, and that support is invaluable.
Q: Looking ahead, what excites you most about Santa Rosa’s transportation future in the next 5–10 years?
A: We have alignment now—policy, funding, and community support—to make real changes. We’re transparent about what can and can’t be done, which helps build trust. Open communication with residents changes perspectives and creates partnership rather than frustration.
What excites me is the ability to act. We’re no longer just fighting to define priorities; we’re figuring out how to implement them quickly and thoughtfully. That’s energizing—knowing we can make the city safer, more connected, and more enjoyable for residents, and do it in a way that balances vision with careful execution.