Statements on Appointment of Henry Gutman as New NYC DOT Commissioner

NEW YORK CITY — In response to Mayor de Blasio’s nomination of Henry “Hank” Gutman to serve as the next NYC DOT Commissioner, Transportation Alternatives and Families for Safe Streets released the following statements: 

Statement of Transportation Alternatives Executive Director Danny Harris:

“Mayor de Blasio must make sure our streets are a pathway to recovery during his final year in office, and Hank Gutman is a strong choice to lead NYC DOT during this critical moment. We congratulate Commissioner Gutman on his appointment.

“The next DOT Commissioner must embrace, without reservation, that people and public transit are more important than cars and parking. This means building more protected bike lanes, dedicated bus lanes, and open space for community use. Doing so is not just good policy, but also popular among a clear majority of voters, as our recent Siena College polling reveals. Today’s announcement to build 10,000 new bike racks, on the heels of our report detailing the lack of bike parking across the five boroughs, is also a strong policy push by Commissioner Gutman, and a great indication of his priorities.

“Commissioner Gutman will also oversee the execution of three recently announced priorities by Mayor de Blasio: making Open Streets permanent, building Bike Boulevards in every borough, and repurposing car lanes for a bike lane on the Brooklyn and Queensboro bridges.  These are transformational ideas that will leave a lasting legacy in our city and inspire improvements in urban areas around the world. Commissioner Gutman must ensure these projects are completed without delay, and according to best-practices. 

“We thank Acting Commissioner Forgione for her experienced leadership and partnership and look forward to continuing to work with her, Commissioner Gutman, and his team at DOT.” 

Statement from Amy Cohen, Co-Founder of Families for Safe Streets 

“Traffic deaths have risen over the past two years. Unsafe streets continue to kill too many New Yorkers. Commissioner Gutman is an experienced leader who can get Vision Zero back on track. This must include restoring funding for the program, along with funding for the Dangerous Vehicle Abatement Program, the Green Wave plan, and the Streets Master Plan. We will look to him to be an ally for our agenda in Albany too, which includes passing the Crash Victims Bill of Rights, Pedestrian Safety Rating, and Sammy’s Law to lower the speed limit in New York City. We also look forward to working closely with Commissioner Gutman and the de Blasio administration on the critical campaign to expand the speed safety camera program. 

“Mothers like me, who lost a child on an unsafe street, are members of a club that nobody should have to join, and we hope that with Commissioner Gutman’s leadership on our streets, we can prevent our membership from growing further.  We congratulate Commissioner Gutman on his important new role and are looking forward to meeting and working together with him soon.” 

###