Iris Weinshall
Encyclopedia
Iris Weinshall is a vice chancellor at the City University of New York
and a former commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation
. Weinshall was appointed commissioner by then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani
on September 8, 2000 and left the post on April 13, 2007.
Weinshall is a graduate of Brooklyn College
and earned a Master of Public Administration
degree from New York University
's Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
. She served as Senior Vice President of the New York State Urban Development Corporation, where she oversaw the development and implementation of the State's overall economic development program. She then held the position of Regional Vice President of Integrated Resources, Inc. where she structured limited partnerships for property acquisition and operation. She then served as President of the Financial Services Corporation, a nonprofit organization which functioned as the financing arm for the City's economic development initiatives.
From 1988-1996, Weinshall served as Deputy Commissioner for Management and Budget at the New York City Department of Environmental Protection
. Before becoming DOT Commissioner, she served as the First Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Citywide Administrative Services.
on September 8, 2000. Commissioner Weinshall was one of a handful of Giuliani department heads to be reappointed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg
.
Queens Boulevard
Weinshall's DOT made efforts to reduce pedestrian injuries and fatalities on New York City's most dangerous street. By slowing traffic, changing traffic signal timing
and adding new signage and pedestrian fencing, pedestrian injuries and fatalities were substantially reduced.
To enhance traffic flow in the city's most congested area, Midtown Manhattan
, Weinshall and Mayor Bloomberg announced the 2003 THRU Streets Program. This program, which prohibits turns off of designated streets between 3rd and 6th Avenues, has reduced cross-town travel times by 25% and increased vehicle speeds by 33%. Weinshall considered this project one of her agency's most ambitious and successful projects. Pedestrian fences were installed near Rockefeller Center
to separate traffic. Larger street signs to provide better visibility to drivers also promoted the usual goal of the department, "to keep the traffic moving" as she often stated it.
During her tenure at DOT commissioner, Weinshall prioritized traffic flow. One such initiative was installing pedestrian fencing to restrict pedestrian movement to increase automobile throughput in the densest part of the borough. Her attempt to increase vehicle flow through historic Park Slope, Brooklyn
by making several avenues one-way was abandoned after hundreds of residents packed a meeting to argue that the plan would jeopardize pedestrian safety by encouraging speeding.
During her nearly seven-year tenure, the department also took important steps to rehabilitate and better maintain the city's bridges and roadways. Close to $3 billion was spent on rehabilitating the city's East River bridges and, thanks to new incentives clauses for contractors, much of the work was completed ahead of schedule.
In addition to her role as DOT Commissioner, Weinshall was appointed by Mayor Bloomberg to the Taxi and Limousine Commission and also served as the Special Transportation Advisor to the Mayor. She was responsible for shaping a transportation strategy for the city and guiding the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission.
On January 29, 2007, Weinshall announced that she was stepping down as DOT commissioner and would take a job as CUNY's Vice Chancellor for Facilities Planning, Construction and Management. Her last day as commissioner was April 13, 2007. She was succeeded by Janette Sadik-Khan
.
system transports 65,000 passengers a day on the five-mile ride between St. George Terminal on Staten Island and Whitehall Terminal in Manhattan. The boats operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and have been a vital municipal service since 1905. During Weinshall’s tenure, DOT has taken a number of steps to modernize the Staten Island Ferry service. In February 2005, Weinshall joined Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg at the opening of the new Whitehall Ferry Terminal in Lower Manhattan. Later that year, in May, DOT celebrated the grand opening of the renovated St. George in Staten Island. Since 2004, DOT has also introduced three new, state of the art ferries: the Guy V. Molinari, John J. Marchi, and most recently the Spirit of America. The $40 million, 310 foot vessels were built by the Manitowoc Marine Group in Marinette, Wisconsin
and replaced the Kennedy class ferries, which have been in operation for more than 40 years.
The normally low profile job of DOT Commissioner came into the spotlight following the 2003 Staten Island Ferry crash
that killed 11 passengers. After the deadly crash, Weinshall came under harsh criticism for allowing patronage relationships to compromise the safety of the ferry operations.
Since 2003, DOT has made significant progress to enhance safety on the Staten Island Ferry. In April 2004, Weinshall appointed Captain James C. DeSimone, a 30-year maritime industry veteran to serve as Chief Operating Officer for the Staten Island Ferry and shortly thereafter appointed Margaret Gordon a maritime safety and security expert to serve as Executive Director of Safety and Security at the ferry. In October 2005, after a year long effort to develop and implement a comprehensive safety management system for the Staten Island Ferry, the American Bureau of Shipping presented the Department of Transportation with a "Voluntary Document of Compliance Certificate" for the DOT Staten Island Ferry Division and "Voluntary Safety Management Certificates" for all operational ferryboats. The New York City Department of Transportation is now the first ferry operator in the United States to voluntarily comply with this internationally accepted safety regime.
came to the forefront. For decades, Queens Boulevard
had been the most dangerous road in New York City. During the period 1950-2000, over 27,000 people were injured on Queens Boulevard. From 1980-84, 40 people were killed on a 2.5 mile length section of Queens Boulevard. From 2002-04 there were 393 injuries and eight deaths. Queens Boulevard became known as the Boulevard of Death, and the community began an outcry to make the road safer. New York Newsday and the New York Daily News
got into a circulation war on the issue of the Boulevard of Death, and the DOT was under pressure to take action. Weinshall implemented pedestrian improvements on Queens Boulevard, including longer pedestrian crossing times, a lowering of the speed limit from 35 mph to 30 mph and the construction of new pedestrian median refuges. The safety improvements have proven successful, without the predicted backups.
and Hudson River Park
rather than NYCDOT, was improved. DOT installed bike lanes linking the East River bridges and Downtown Brooklyn
, which is home to a growing cycling community. In 2006, Bicycling Magazine named New York one of the top bicycling cities in the United States.
Andrew Vesselinovitch, former Bicycle Program Director at DOT, resigned in 2006, accusing Weinshall's DOT of foot dragging on bicycle safety and deliberately sabotaging fixes to known hazards on the Williamsburg Bridge
. Vesselinovitch claimed that Weinshall prevented him from installing bike lanes, and that First Deputy Commissioner Michael Primeggia told him to "butt out" when he attempted to fix bumps on the Williamsburg Bridge
that were costing New York City millions in lawsuits. Following Vesselinovitch’s departure, Weinshall appointed Ryan Russo as Director for Street Management and Safety, overseeing the department’s bicycle and pedestrian initiatives. Russo previously worked in DOT’s Brooklyn Borough Commissioner’s Office where he developed and implemented a number of cycling and pedestrian safety improvements in Downtown Brooklyn.
After Weinshall's departure, her successor at DOT, Janette Sadik-Khan
, installed over 200 miles of bike lanes in a 3-year period, compared to Weinshall's single-digit lane miles towards the end of her tenure. In her new position at the City University of New York, Weinshall has largely steered clear of New York City transportation policy issues -- until the redesign of Prospect Park West in the spring of 2010. Opposed to the installation of a bicycling facility on her own street, Weinshall helped to organize a group calling itself Neighbors for Better Bike Lanes (NBBL) aimed at removing the bike lane.
City University of New York
The City University of New York is the public university system of New York City, with its administrative offices in Yorkville in Manhattan. It is the largest urban university in the United States, consisting of 23 institutions: 11 senior colleges, six community colleges, the William E...
and a former commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation
New York City Department of Transportation
The New York City Department of Transportation is responsible for the management of much of New York City's transportation infrastructure...
. Weinshall was appointed commissioner by then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani
Rudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....
on September 8, 2000 and left the post on April 13, 2007.
Weinshall is a graduate of Brooklyn College
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn College is a senior college of the City University of New York, located in Brooklyn, New York, United States.Established in 1930 by the New York City Board of Higher Education, the College had its beginnings as the Downtown Brooklyn branches of Hunter College and the City College of New...
and earned a Master of Public Administration
Master of Public Administration
The Master of Public Administration is a professional post-graduate degree in Public Administration. The MPA program prepares individuals to serve as managers in the executive arm of local, state/provincial, and federal/national government, and increasingly in nongovernmental organization and...
degree from New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
's Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
The Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service is a public policy school that offers a comprehensive curriculum in public and nonprofit policy and management. It is one of 14 schools and divisions at New York University and is the largest school of public service in the United States...
. She served as Senior Vice President of the New York State Urban Development Corporation, where she oversaw the development and implementation of the State's overall economic development program. She then held the position of Regional Vice President of Integrated Resources, Inc. where she structured limited partnerships for property acquisition and operation. She then served as President of the Financial Services Corporation, a nonprofit organization which functioned as the financing arm for the City's economic development initiatives.
From 1988-1996, Weinshall served as Deputy Commissioner for Management and Budget at the New York City Department of Environmental Protection
New York City Department of Environmental Protection
The New York City Department of Environmental Protection is a City agency of nearly 6,000 employees that manages and conserves the City’s water supply; distributes more than one billion gallons of clean drinking water each day to nine million New Yorkers and collects wastewater through a vast...
. Before becoming DOT Commissioner, she served as the First Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Citywide Administrative Services.
Tenure as NYC DOT Commissioner
Iris Weinshall was appointed Commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation by then-Mayor Rudy GiulianiRudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....
on September 8, 2000. Commissioner Weinshall was one of a handful of Giuliani department heads to be reappointed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States...
.
Queens Boulevard
Queens Boulevard
Queens Boulevard is a major thoroughfare in the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Queens connecting communities from Midtown Manhattan to Jamaica...
Weinshall's DOT made efforts to reduce pedestrian injuries and fatalities on New York City's most dangerous street. By slowing traffic, changing traffic signal timing
Signal timing
Signal timing is the technique which traffic engineers use to determine who has the right-of-way at an intersection. Signal timing involves deciding how much green time the traffic lights shall provide at an intersection approach, how long the pedestrian WALK signal should be, and many numerous...
and adding new signage and pedestrian fencing, pedestrian injuries and fatalities were substantially reduced.
To enhance traffic flow in the city's most congested area, Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan, or simply Midtown, is an area of Manhattan, New York City home to world-famous commercial zones such as Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square...
, Weinshall and Mayor Bloomberg announced the 2003 THRU Streets Program. This program, which prohibits turns off of designated streets between 3rd and 6th Avenues, has reduced cross-town travel times by 25% and increased vehicle speeds by 33%. Weinshall considered this project one of her agency's most ambitious and successful projects. Pedestrian fences were installed near Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center is a complex of 19 commercial buildings covering between 48th and 51st streets in New York City, United States. Built by the Rockefeller family, it is located in the center of Midtown Manhattan, spanning the area between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue. It was declared a National...
to separate traffic. Larger street signs to provide better visibility to drivers also promoted the usual goal of the department, "to keep the traffic moving" as she often stated it.
During her tenure at DOT commissioner, Weinshall prioritized traffic flow. One such initiative was installing pedestrian fencing to restrict pedestrian movement to increase automobile throughput in the densest part of the borough. Her attempt to increase vehicle flow through historic Park Slope, Brooklyn
Park Slope, Brooklyn
Park Slope is a neighborhood in western Brooklyn, New York City's most populous borough. Park Slope is roughly bounded by Prospect Park West to the east, Fourth Avenue to the west, Flatbush Avenue to the north, and 15th Street to the south, though other definitions are sometimes offered. Generally...
by making several avenues one-way was abandoned after hundreds of residents packed a meeting to argue that the plan would jeopardize pedestrian safety by encouraging speeding.
During her nearly seven-year tenure, the department also took important steps to rehabilitate and better maintain the city's bridges and roadways. Close to $3 billion was spent on rehabilitating the city's East River bridges and, thanks to new incentives clauses for contractors, much of the work was completed ahead of schedule.
In addition to her role as DOT Commissioner, Weinshall was appointed by Mayor Bloomberg to the Taxi and Limousine Commission and also served as the Special Transportation Advisor to the Mayor. She was responsible for shaping a transportation strategy for the city and guiding the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission.
On January 29, 2007, Weinshall announced that she was stepping down as DOT commissioner and would take a job as CUNY's Vice Chancellor for Facilities Planning, Construction and Management. Her last day as commissioner was April 13, 2007. She was succeeded by Janette Sadik-Khan
Janette Sadik-Khan
Janette Sadik-Khan is the current Commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation, appointed by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg on April 27, 2007, to replace Iris Weinshall....
.
Staten Island Ferry
The Staten Island FerryStaten Island Ferry
The Staten Island Ferry is a passenger ferry service operated by the New York City Department of Transportation that runs between the boroughs of Manhattan and Staten Island.-Overview:...
system transports 65,000 passengers a day on the five-mile ride between St. George Terminal on Staten Island and Whitehall Terminal in Manhattan. The boats operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and have been a vital municipal service since 1905. During Weinshall’s tenure, DOT has taken a number of steps to modernize the Staten Island Ferry service. In February 2005, Weinshall joined Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg at the opening of the new Whitehall Ferry Terminal in Lower Manhattan. Later that year, in May, DOT celebrated the grand opening of the renovated St. George in Staten Island. Since 2004, DOT has also introduced three new, state of the art ferries: the Guy V. Molinari, John J. Marchi, and most recently the Spirit of America. The $40 million, 310 foot vessels were built by the Manitowoc Marine Group in Marinette, Wisconsin
Marinette, Wisconsin
Marinette is a city in and the county seat of Marinette County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 11,749 at the 2000 census.Marinette is the principal city of the Marinette, WI–MI Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Marinette County, Wisconsin and Menominee...
and replaced the Kennedy class ferries, which have been in operation for more than 40 years.
The normally low profile job of DOT Commissioner came into the spotlight following the 2003 Staten Island Ferry crash
2003 Staten Island Ferry crash
On October 15, 2003, at 3:21 p.m., the Staten Island Ferry vessel Andrew J. Barberi crashed full-speed into a concrete pier at the St. George ferry terminal. Eleven people were killed and 71 injured, some critically.-The accident:...
that killed 11 passengers. After the deadly crash, Weinshall came under harsh criticism for allowing patronage relationships to compromise the safety of the ferry operations.
Since 2003, DOT has made significant progress to enhance safety on the Staten Island Ferry. In April 2004, Weinshall appointed Captain James C. DeSimone, a 30-year maritime industry veteran to serve as Chief Operating Officer for the Staten Island Ferry and shortly thereafter appointed Margaret Gordon a maritime safety and security expert to serve as Executive Director of Safety and Security at the ferry. In October 2005, after a year long effort to develop and implement a comprehensive safety management system for the Staten Island Ferry, the American Bureau of Shipping presented the Department of Transportation with a "Voluntary Document of Compliance Certificate" for the DOT Staten Island Ferry Division and "Voluntary Safety Management Certificates" for all operational ferryboats. The New York City Department of Transportation is now the first ferry operator in the United States to voluntarily comply with this internationally accepted safety regime.
Queens Boulevard
Not long after she assumed the post of NYC DOT commissioner, the issue of Queens BoulevardQueens Boulevard
Queens Boulevard is a major thoroughfare in the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Queens connecting communities from Midtown Manhattan to Jamaica...
came to the forefront. For decades, Queens Boulevard
Queens Boulevard
Queens Boulevard is a major thoroughfare in the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Queens connecting communities from Midtown Manhattan to Jamaica...
had been the most dangerous road in New York City. During the period 1950-2000, over 27,000 people were injured on Queens Boulevard. From 1980-84, 40 people were killed on a 2.5 mile length section of Queens Boulevard. From 2002-04 there were 393 injuries and eight deaths. Queens Boulevard became known as the Boulevard of Death, and the community began an outcry to make the road safer. New York Newsday and the New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
got into a circulation war on the issue of the Boulevard of Death, and the DOT was under pressure to take action. Weinshall implemented pedestrian improvements on Queens Boulevard, including longer pedestrian crossing times, a lowering of the speed limit from 35 mph to 30 mph and the construction of new pedestrian median refuges. The safety improvements have proven successful, without the predicted backups.
Bicycle issues
During Weinshall's tenure, DOT installed more than 200 miles of bike lanes. The Hudson River Greenway, a project of New York State Department of TransportationNew York State Department of Transportation
The New York State Department of Transportation is responsible for the development and operation of highways, railroads, mass transit systems, ports, waterways and aviation facilities in the U.S...
and Hudson River Park
Hudson River Park
Hudson River Park is a waterside park on the Hudson River that extends from 59th Street south to Battery Park in the New York City borough of Manhattan. Bicycle and pedestrian paths, including the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway, span the park north to south, opening up the waterfront for...
rather than NYCDOT, was improved. DOT installed bike lanes linking the East River bridges and Downtown Brooklyn
Downtown Brooklyn
Downtown Brooklyn is the third largest central business district in New York City , and is located in the northwestern section of the borough of Brooklyn...
, which is home to a growing cycling community. In 2006, Bicycling Magazine named New York one of the top bicycling cities in the United States.
Andrew Vesselinovitch, former Bicycle Program Director at DOT, resigned in 2006, accusing Weinshall's DOT of foot dragging on bicycle safety and deliberately sabotaging fixes to known hazards on the Williamsburg Bridge
Williamsburg Bridge
The Williamsburg Bridge is a suspension bridge in New York City across the East River connecting the Lower East Side of Manhattan at Delancey Street with the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn at Broadway near the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway...
. Vesselinovitch claimed that Weinshall prevented him from installing bike lanes, and that First Deputy Commissioner Michael Primeggia told him to "butt out" when he attempted to fix bumps on the Williamsburg Bridge
Williamsburg Bridge
The Williamsburg Bridge is a suspension bridge in New York City across the East River connecting the Lower East Side of Manhattan at Delancey Street with the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn at Broadway near the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway...
that were costing New York City millions in lawsuits. Following Vesselinovitch’s departure, Weinshall appointed Ryan Russo as Director for Street Management and Safety, overseeing the department’s bicycle and pedestrian initiatives. Russo previously worked in DOT’s Brooklyn Borough Commissioner’s Office where he developed and implemented a number of cycling and pedestrian safety improvements in Downtown Brooklyn.
After Weinshall's departure, her successor at DOT, Janette Sadik-Khan
Janette Sadik-Khan
Janette Sadik-Khan is the current Commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation, appointed by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg on April 27, 2007, to replace Iris Weinshall....
, installed over 200 miles of bike lanes in a 3-year period, compared to Weinshall's single-digit lane miles towards the end of her tenure. In her new position at the City University of New York, Weinshall has largely steered clear of New York City transportation policy issues -- until the redesign of Prospect Park West in the spring of 2010. Opposed to the installation of a bicycling facility on her own street, Weinshall helped to organize a group calling itself Neighbors for Better Bike Lanes (NBBL) aimed at removing the bike lane.