Monday marks the first time traffic-clogged Houston has a transportation planner, a position officials said will coordinate mobility issues around the city.

David Fields, former principal of Nelson\Nygaard Associates in San Francisco, started work this week as chief transportation planner, Mayor Sylvester Turner announced in a new release. Turner said the role is intended to “break down the silos and fully integrate the city’s mobility solutions with all our partners.”

“He will also be instrumental in making Vision Zero a reality, allowing the city to eliminate — or significantly reduce — deaths and serious injuries caused by automobile crashes by the year 2030,” Turner said.

The mayor’s office refused to provide Fields’ salary, saying the information only would be released in response to a public records request to the city’s personnel department. The Houston Chronicle subsequently filed a public information request.

Despite many planners on the city payroll and various departments involved in transportation issues, this is the first time the city has had a position with its title specific to transportation planning.

The job lies within the city’s planning and development department but coordinates with Houston Public Works and other governmental bodies such as Metropolitan Transit Authority and the Houston-Galveston Area Council.

“It adds deeper expertise to better coordinate the strategic planning efforts,” Planning Director Margaret Wallace Brown said.

The position takes the place of the deputy director position Brown held before taking over the top job. Fields said he welcomed the challenge.

“Transportation can change people’s lives,” Fields said. “Doing it right starts by making sure every Houstonian can safely cross the street and ends when everyone can safely and easily connect from their home to their job, their school, and all Houston has to offer.”

dug.begley@chron.com