Successor to Sadik-Khan Announced

Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio has announced that Polly Trottenberg, the third-ranking official at the US Department of Transportation, will become the next Commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation. She's got big shoes to fill.

2 minute read

January 1, 2014, 5:00 AM PST

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


"[New York City's] new commissioner of the Department of Transportation is Polly Trottenberg, whom Mayor-elect de Blasio called 'a true and patriotic New Yorker' while announcing her appointment at a press conference on Tuesday," report Kate Hinds and Jim O'Grady.

Advocacy group Transportation Alternatives praised the selection. "Polly Trottenberg is a demonstrated leader in progressive transportation, and we applaud Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio for making this well-considered appointment," said Paul Steely White, TA's Executive Director, in a statement. "Her expertise in management and legislative implementation will serve her well as she leads the talented team at NYC DOT. Her skills and experience will be essential to implementing Mayor-elect de Blasio's agenda to make the City's streets safer for all New Yorkers."

Planetizen's coverage of Ms. Trottenberg dates back to 2008 and 2009 in her capacity as executive director of Building America's Future, a Washington-based group promoting innovation in infrastructure improvements. In May, 2009 she was nominated to serve as assistant secretary for policy at the U.S. Department of Transportation by President Barack Obama.

Trottenberg replaces Janette Sadik-Khan, an "international star" who helped transform the city's streets into more bike-, pedestrian-, and people-friendly spaces. In a recent piece for The New York Times, Matt Flegenheimer summarized her accomplishments in re-imagining the city's streets, from introducing protected bike lanes to pedestrianizing Times Square. In an exit interview with Future Cities (see below), Sadik-Khan spoke of the improved safety of the city's streets as her greatest achievement.

From the comments she delivered at yesterday's press conference, it sounds like Trottenberg is aiming for a similar goal: "Saving the lives of people who use our streets every single day is going to be a passionate mission," she said, "at the forefront of everything we do."

Thanks to Irvin Dawid

Tuesday, December 31, 2013 in WNYC: Transportation Nation

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 25, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Person wearing mask walking through temporary outdoor dining setup lined with bistro lights at dusk in New York City.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?

Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

June 19, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Western U.S. indicating public lands that would be for sale under a Senate plan in yellow and green.

Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands

For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”

June 19, 2025 - Outdoor Life

Two-story buildings with porches in walkable Florida neighborhood.

Orange County, Florida Adopts Largest US “Sprawl Repair” Code

The ‘Orange Code’ seeks to rectify decades of sprawl-inducing, car-oriented development.

45 minutes ago - CNU Public Square

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1 - Honolulu Civil Beat

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1 - KQED

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.