Grist's Sarah Goodyear talks with New York City Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan about her work in the city -- and what other cities can learn from it.
This piece also looks at how some in the city have criticized her work.
"Sadik-Khan's focus on bicycles and pedestrians -- often at the expense of cars -- has also caused a lot of blowback, especially from press outlets such as The New York Post ("Strangled by bikes: Transport commish is out of control," screamed a recent headline). Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz has regularly expressed his outrage over a protected bike lane running along Prospect Park, most recently in a somewhat bizarre Christmas card. Pedestrian refuges, designed to make it easier for seniors to cross busy streets, have been slammed as "concrete chaos" by a local TV station.
Sadik-Khan seems unperturbed by her critics and determined to press ahead, saying that analysis shows the redesigns have been successful, and that the process always takes community needs into account. When we met, she talked about allocating street space fairly, the connection between safety and sustainability, and the importance of boldness."
Read the full story: Taming the mean streets: A talk with NYC transportation chief Janette Sadik-Khan
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