Walls and Bridges

COMMISSIONER OF THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTEMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

USA

Biography

Janette Sadik-Khan, who has served as transportation commissioner since 2007, is internationally recognized for her expertise in transportation issues, public policy development and innovative finance. Under her leadership, the transportation department has implemented an ambitious program to improve safety, mobility and sustainability throughout New York.
Beginning with “Sustainable Streets,” the Department of Transportation’s first strategic plan, which was published in 2008, Ms. Sadik-Khan has implemented a series of innovative projects. They include: creation of Broadway Boulevard; new Select Bus Service routes in the Bronx and Manhattan; the installation of 18 plazas and more than 285 miles of on-street bike lanes; car-free summer streets; weekend pedestrian walks, and the publication of a “Street Design Manual” and a “Street Works Manual” that define new standards for creating more durable and attractive streets.
In addition, she has initiated major rehabilitations of New York’s bridges and has worked to bring city roads and sidewalks to a state of good repair. With a priority on transparency and customer service, Ms. Sadik-Khan has reshaped and expanded outreach to address the concerns of community boards, elected officials and individual citizens.
Ms. Sadik-Khan’s contributions to public service and the field of transportation have been recognized with awards from the Rockefeller Foundation, the American Institute of Architects, the Municipal Arts Society, the National Resources Defense Council and NYU Wagner’s Rudin Center for Transportation Policy & Management.  Pratt Institute, The New School and Occidental College have conferred honorary degrees on her for her work in New York City.
Ms. Sadik-Khan holds a B.A. in Political Science from Occidental College, where she serves on the board of trustees, and a law degree from Columbia University.