Janette Sadik-Khan
Encyclopedia
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
.
Sadik-Khan has been a key player in Mayor Michael Bloomberg
's efforts to transform New York into a green city under PlaNYC
by reducing the city's carbon footprint
30% by the year 2030; providing protected bike lanes or segregated cycle facilities
in which parked cars serve as a barrier against moving traffic; improved bus lane
s, with bus priority
at stoplights; and pedestrian plazas in which portions of streets (including Broadway at Times Square
) have become greenspace
s free of cars.
from Occidental College
(with a major in Political Science), and a law degree from Columbia Law School
.
Previously she worked at the Mayor's Office for Transportation under David Dinkins
, the Federal Transit Administration
, Parsons Brinckerhoff
, as a Senior Vice President and was a board member of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign
.
Janette Sadik-Khan is married to Mark A. Geistfeld, a professor of law at New York University.
She is the daughter of the late Orhan Sadik-Khan, managing director of UBS PaineWebber.
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...
, appointed by New York City 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...
on April 27, 2007, to replace Iris Weinshall
Iris Weinshall
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...
.
Sadik-Khan has been a key player in 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...
's efforts to transform New York into a green city under PlaNYC
PlaNYC
PlaNYC is an effort released by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2007 to prepare the city for one million more residents, strengthen the economy, combat climate change, and enhance the quality of life for all New Yorkers. The Plan brought together over 25 City agencies to work toward the...
by reducing the city's carbon footprint
Carbon footprint
A carbon footprint has historically been defined as "the total set of greenhouse gas emissions caused by an organization, event, product or person.". However, calculating a carbon footprint which conforms to this definition is often impracticable due to the large amount of data required, which is...
30% by the year 2030; providing protected bike lanes or segregated cycle facilities
Segregated cycle facilities
Segregated cycle facilities are marked lanes, tracks, shoulders and paths designated for use by cyclists from which motorised traffic is generally excluded...
in which parked cars serve as a barrier against moving traffic; improved bus lane
Bus lane
A bus lane or bus only lane is a lane restricted to buses, and generally used to speed up public transport that would be otherwise held up by traffic congestion...
s, with bus priority
Bus priority
Bus priority or transit signal priority is a name for various techniques to speed up bus public transport services at intersections with traffic signals amongst other methods. Trams and light rail vehicles can also be given priority...
at stoplights; and pedestrian plazas in which portions of streets (including Broadway at Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
) have become greenspace
Open space reserve
Open space reserve, open space preserve, and open space reservation, are planning and conservation ethics terms used to describe areas of protected or conserved land or water on which development is indefinitely set aside...
s free of cars.
Background
Sadik-Khan received a B.A.Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from Occidental College
Occidental College
Occidental College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1887, Occidental College, or "Oxy" as it is called by students and alumni, is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges on the West Coast...
(with a major in Political Science), and a law degree from Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School, founded in 1858, is one of the oldest and most prestigious law schools in the United States. A member of the Ivy League, Columbia Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Columbia University in New York City. It offers the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. degrees in...
.
Previously she worked at the Mayor's Office for Transportation under David Dinkins
David Dinkins
David Norman Dinkins is a former politician from New York City. He was the Mayor of New York City from 1990 through 1993; he was the first and is, to date, the only African American to hold that office.-Early life:...
, the Federal Transit Administration
Federal Transit Administration
The Federal Transit Administration is an agency within the United States Department of Transportation that provides financial and technical assistance to local public transit systems. The FTA is one of ten modal administrations within the DOT...
, Parsons Brinckerhoff
Parsons Brinckerhoff
Parsons Brinckerhoff is a professional services firm with 14,000 employees in 150 offices providing construction and operation management, planning, design, engineering, program management, strategic consulting, environmental and sustainability services for clients and communities in the Americas,...
, as a Senior Vice President and was a board member of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign
Tri-State Transportation Campaign
The Tri-State Transportation Campaign is a non-profit advocacy and policy organization dedicated to reducing car and truck dependency and promoting a "more balanced, environmentally sound and equitable transportation network" in downstate New York, New Jersey and Connecticut...
.
Janette Sadik-Khan is married to Mark A. Geistfeld, a professor of law at New York University.
She is the daughter of the late Orhan Sadik-Khan, managing director of UBS PaineWebber.