Zohran Mamdani is tapping Mike Flynn, an experienced city planner, to lead the Department of Transportation, according to two sources familiar with the decision.
The position of DOT commissioner is a crucial pick for soon-to-be Mayor Mamdani, whose marquee policy is not only to make the city’s buses free for all New Yorkers, but to make them faster. While the state-run MTA controls the operations of the city’s buses, it’s the city that leads the charge on building bus lane infrastructure and reducing traffic congestion.
Overall, the agency is tasked with shaping New Yorkers’ experience of public space and city streets.
The sources who confirmed Flynn’s appointment were not authorized to speak publicly. Flynn declined to comment on the appointment. A spokesperson for Mamdani did not respond to a request for comment.
Flynn has spent nearly a decade in several positions in the transportation department, working on sustainability practices and bicycle programs. In 2014, he joined TYLin, an engineering and consulting firm that works on infrastructure and transportation projects, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Flynn was appointed to Mamdani’s Transportation, Climate and Infrastructure transition committee in the weeks after the mayor-elect’s seismic victory in the November general election.
The current transportation commissioner is Ydanis Rodriguez, a political appointee of Mayor Eric Adams who had no prior experience within the DOT or managing public work projects.
Adams committed to building 150 miles of new bus lanes when he took office at the start of 2022, as was required by city law. Less than 30 have been added during his tenure, according to DOT data.
The Adams administration was roiled in scandal over decisions to cancel or claw back major road infrastructure projects, including bike lanes in South Williamsburg and a dedicated busway on Fordham Road in the Bronx.
Along with his bus proposal, Mamdani has also pledged to add to the city’s network of bike lanes. In August, he said he would restart several protected bike lane projects that Adams had either canceled or delayed.
