In Defense of Horodniceanu

This comment from Carolyn Konheim of Community Consulting Services, which appeared on a thread that stemmed from our earlier report
about the likely appointment of Michael Horodniceanu (right) as the
next NYC DOT Commissioner, provides an interesting counterpoint to the
“cars-first” rap he has been tagged with:

Michael
Horodniceanu is more progressive than generally appreciated.  He really
knows city streets and how they could function better for everyone. His
firm’s Technical Memo #1 to NYCDOT on Downtown Brooklyn so honestly
reported traffic and transit conditions (including the penalty of
“free” bridges) that developers’ EISs and compliant agencies have been
covering up, that the rest of the high level study — a Mayoral
commitment — has been buried for two years.

Mike was a pioneer
traffic calmer. In 1986, as NYCDOT Deputy Commissioner, he offered
$600,000 to carry out a community traffic calming plan that would have
done 20 years ago what the City’s costly sidewalk cosmetics still
ignore — protecting neighborhood streets from through traffic.  He was
so far ahead of his time that he took brickbats in a personal appeal to
a skeptical community board that now rues the day they voted it down.
Today, he uses graphic traffic network models (tools NYCDOT has refused
for Brooklyn) to show how innovative pedestrian measures can benefit
everyone.  If chosen, he’ll know where in the agency to find good
people ready to do the right thing.