Successor to Sadik-Khan Announced

"[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