By schneps-rest-agent
Mayor-elect Eric Adams on Monday
announced the appointment of termlimited
City Councilmember Ydanis
Rodriguez (D-Manhattan) as Commissioner
of the New York City Department
of Transportation (DOT).
Rodriguez is the first Latino to head
the agency. He currently serves as the
chair of the Council’s Transportation
Committee – a position he has held
for eight years – and was an early and
ardent supporter of Adams’ successful
run for mayor.
Separately, Adams said Aloysee
Heredia Jarmoszuk will continue to
lead the New York City Taxi and Limousine
Commission (TLC).
“Our city’s transportation system
faces major challenges, from surging
traffic fatalities to increased congestion
on our streets. We need proven
leaders who are ready to roll up their
sleeves on Day 1 and address these
issues, with a focus on making transit
more equitable and efficient for all
New Yorkers. I know Ydanis Rodriguez
and Aloysee Heredia Jarmoszuk are up
to the challenge, and I look forward to
working with them to keep our city
moving forward,” said Adams.
Adams expressed the importance of
his administration’s hitting the ground
running on the missions of increasing
street safety, improving transit equity
and accessibility, promoting sustainability,
as well as effectively investing
the federal funds coming to the City
as a result of the Infrastructure Investment
and Jobs Act, commonly referred
to as the Bipartisan Infrastructure
Law.
Rodriguez vowed to work with the
rest of his colleagues in the administration
as well as with the City Council,
advocates, and the private and academic
sectors, to carry on the vision of
turning New York City into the most
pedestrian and cyclist-friendly city in
the nation.
“As the next DOT Commissioner, I
am proud to soon be working alongside
the many men and women in the
agency who have been committed to
improving the safety of our streets. I
will continue looking for innovative
ways to reduce our reliance on carbon
emitting vehicles and in its place
build a City that prioritizes sustainability
and the safety of pedestrians
and cyclists,” said Rodriguez.
As the Chair of the Council’s Transportation
Committee, Rodriguez
spearheaded an array of initiatives and
policies, including the city’s annual
“Car Free Earth Day” and the expansion
of Citi Bike into underserved
neighborhoods throughout the city.
Caribbean Life, December 24-30, 2021 23
Health Commissioner Dave Chokshi at a press briefi ng Sept. 10. Photo via Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Offi ce
Adams Slows Health
Commissioner Transfer Through
COVID-19 Omicron Surge
By By Morgan C. Mullings
Mayor-elect Eric Adams named Dr.
Ashwin Vasan as the new commissioner
for the Department of Health and Mental
Hygiene (DHMH0 but announced
Dec. 22 that he won’t start until April
as current Commissioner Dave Chokshi
– who has led NYC through each phase
of the COVID pandemic on Mayor Bill
de Blasio’s team – will stay on through
March.
“For the next three months as we
get through this surge, Dr. Chokshi
will continue the excellent work he is
doing now to increase testing capacity,
promote vaccinations and boosters,
and stop the spread of this virus,” said
Mayor-elect Adams.
“After Dr. Vasan assumes the role,
we will build on the progress we have
made, ensuring that we continue our
fight against the pandemic while delivering
on my public health priorities,
from boosting mental health services
to promoting healthy food in City facilities,”
he said.
Vasan has over 20 years of experience
in public health, and New Yorkers may
have heard him recently on WNYC with
Brian Lehrer discussing the omicron
variant of the virus. He is the CEO of
Fountain House, a nonprofit organization
that has become a national leader
in social solutions for mental health.
“I am deeply honored and humbled
Eric Adms. File photo
to join Mayor-elect Adams’ administration
to help New Yorkers fight back
against COVID-19, and I am grateful
to Dr. Chokshi for his tireless work on
behalf of our City. Make no mistake:
we will stop the spread of this virus.
We will also deliver on the Mayorelect’s
public health priorities by fixing
our broken mental health system and
ensuring equitable access to clean air,
clean water, healthy food, and affordable
healthcare,” Vasan said.
Vasan’s Twitter is full of advice and
opinions on mental health care as COVID
19 causes New Yorkers to reckon
with their safety once again. Next week,
he and Adams and Dr. Chokshi will
work together to roll out a comprehensive
plan to allocate resources as the
virus spreads.
Commissioner Chokshi said of his
time in the de Blasio Administration,
“I feel a deep sense of duty and care for
our City — and I’m committed to our
City’s COVID response, as I have been
for the past two years. New York City
can count on me to see us through
another winter.”
Ydanis
Rodriguez
to DOT