"Zohran Mamdani was elected in part because he made getting around the Big Apple like the rest of us - by foot, bike, bus, and train - a central part of his appeal, and a key point of contrast between him and Gotham's political establishment. And if you listen to that same establishment, all that's going to change for the political novice. But does it have to?"
""He ran a historic campaign that made bus riders visible for the first time. He rode the subway time and again and overwhelming won the precincts closest to the subway stations," said Danny Pearlstein, the spokesman for Riders Alliance. "It's never been clearer that New Yorkers elected a Rider-in-Chief. He must be [seen] in transit, and I think he grasps that intrinsically. And it's worth the investment to make that a reality."
"Can the NYPD protect a bike-riding mayor? City Hall veterans say that security concerns could complicate the new mayor's transit habit - and even Mamdani admits it. In October, he told Hell Gate that his primary victory in the June spelled the end of his life as a flâneur: "Because of the death threats that I continue to receive, I cannot move around the city without an armed security detail from the NYPD"
Zohran Mamdani built his appeal on getting around New York by foot, bike, bus, and train, marking a clear contrast with the city's political establishment. His campaign made bus riders more visible and won precincts near subway stations, creating expectations that he will remain publicly transit-accessible. Supporters urge visible transit use and note the cultural authenticity of riding rather than being chauffeured. City Hall veterans warn of a tension between shaping the mayoral role and being shaped by it. Persistent death threats have forced reliance on an armed NYPD detail, complicating frequent, unescorted transit movement.
Read at Streetsblog
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