Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s fresh transition strategy is turning heads fast, especially after tapping Ben Furnas, a big-shot from Transportation Alternatives, to spearhead his transportation, climate, and infrastructure squad. Cue the drama. Critics are already sweating bullets, seeing this move as a direct pipeline to policies that’ll clamp down hard on cars—something drivers and locals are calling downright hostile.
Transportation Alternatives didn’t hold back, tossing out a mammoth proposal with over 80 ideas for the next city leadership. One eye-catcher? Dumping playgrounds smack in the middle of streets, morphing them into dead ends. Sure, they claim it’ll fix the so-called “playground desert,” but good luck figuring out where all that rerouted traffic’s supposed to go. Not exactly a smooth ride for commuters.
Then there’s the push to blanket the city with school streets, shutting down roads near every public school. Right now? Barely a handful do this. But stretch it across 3,000 spots? Critics are howling, warning it’ll gridlock neighborhoods worse than crosstown traffic at rush hour.
And let’s talk busways—more of ‘em, slapped onto every busy transit route, just like the heated fights over 14th Street and the brewing battle for 34th. Some riders have previously argued that the primary issue is a shortage of buses rather than vehicle traffic, but the plan emphasizes limiting cars to speed up mass transit.
Other gems? Gutting subway station parking for fancier sidewalks, bus shelters, bike lanes, even pocket forests. Sounds nice till you realize who gets squeezed—seniors, families, anyone with mobility struggles who relies on wheels to get around.
Oh, and remember those pandemic-era outdoor dining sheds? They’re back in the mix, now angling for a permanent, year-round gig. Naysayers shudder at the sanitation nightmares, while fans swear they’re a lifeline for small businesses.
Furnas’ gig has skeptics on edge, convinced the DOT’s about to get steered hard into bike-and-pedestrian territory, leaving drivers in the dust. And he’s not alone—other transit activists from Open Plans and Riders Alliance are hopping on board the transition train.
Mamdani’s team? Radio silent. For now, the city’s left guessing just how much of this wishlist will slam into reality once the new crew takes over. Buckle up.
Sourcehttps://theautowire.com/2025/12/01/new-york-considers-gps-speed/
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