How Mamdani could push a bold redesign of New York's streets

"When he takes office next year, Zohran Mamdani will be the first mayor of New York City in decades not to own a car. Mamdani-who bikes and rides public transit to work-wants to make city buses both faster to ride and free, building on a fare-free pilot he helped run in 2023. He also plans to expand the city's network of bike lanes, add more car-free streets in front of schools, and wants to pedestrianize more areas in Manhattan as congestion pricing has reduced traffic."

"Sadik-Khan, now a principal at Bloomberg Associates, built nearly 400 miles of bike lanes, launched Citi Bike, introduced new rapid bus lanes, created dozens of plazas, and pedestrianized Times Square. The changes have continued to roll out. New York now has 1,500 miles of bike lanes, more than half a million daily cyclists, and a mile-long stretch of 14th Street dedicated entirely to buses."

Zohran Mamdani will be the first New York City mayor in decades not to own a car and commutes by bike and public transit. Mamdani plans to speed up buses and pursue a fare-free system building on a 2023 pilot, expand the city's bike-lane network, add more car-free streets outside schools, and pedestrianize additional Manhattan areas. New York now has 1,500 miles of bike lanes and more than half a million daily cyclists. The Streets Plan requires adding 50 miles of bike lanes and 30 miles of bus lanes each year; the previous administration missed those targets.

Read at Fast Company