Mayor De Blasio Appoints New DOT Commissioner Hank Gutman, who Promises 10,000 New Bike Parking Racks

  By Yehudit Garmaise

  Mayor Bill de Blasio today appointed Hank Gutman as New York City’s next commissioner of the Department of Transportation (DOT) to replace Polly Trottenberg, who served as DOT commissioner for almost seven years before starting her new role as President Joe Biden’s Deputy Secretary of Transportation.

    Gutman, who went to Harvard Law School and previously worked as a lawyer, “volunteers constantly in civic efforts,” said the mayor said, who got to know Gutman “when he was one of the leaders of the effort in the fight to create the Brooklyn Bridge Park: an 80-acre oasis, a jewel of the city.”

     Mayor de Blasio elaborated that “There was another effort within that effort: whether that park was going to equitable for all of Brooklyn, or whether it would be an elitist enclave.

    “Hank fought for an inclusive park, even though many didn’t want to see it that way, he made the effort with other good people to make sure the park was for everyone. That is where I gained such respect for him early on.”

    Gutman also serves as the chair of the Brooklyn Navy Yard, which Mayor de Blasio called “a job engine that Gutman makes work even better and connects it more deeply to the surrounding communities and ensure there was equity in the job development there. 

   As part of Mayor de Blasio’s vision to “move away from the era of the automobile,” as the mayor described it, Gutman announced that New York City will build 10,000 new bike parking racks by the end of 2022.

   “We have an opportunity to chart a new path for this city – one that leaves Robert Moses’ vision behind, beats back COVID-19, protects our environment, and builds a fair, safe, and equitable recovery for all of us,” said Commissioner Gutman. “Today’s commitment to build 10,000 bike parking spaces will give more New Yorkers than ever an appealing alternative to car culture, and it will transform biking in this city. I’m grateful to Mayor de Blasio for giving me the chance to serve the city I love. I can’t wait to get started.”

“We have to give people more and more and better options,” said the mayor, who called Vision Zero, “the Number One initiative of this administration.” “[A less car-centered focus on transportation] is the kind of city we have to build.”

  “Hank Gutman is a visionary leader whose decades of civic life in this city have made New York City fairer, better, and more accessible,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “We made permanent and progressive changes to city streets last year, and we have more to do this year. I can’t wait to work with him to expand transportation options to every New Yorker and build a recovery for all of us.”

   “This administration has tasked the agency with creating a city for the people: safe streets, high quality public spaces and an equitable transportation system,” said Margaret Forgione, who today was named as Gutman’s first deputy commissioner.

 Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.