In a surprising turn of events, Mayor Zohran Mamdani has backed away from a key campaign promise regarding pedestrian-friendly parking policies, leaving transit advocates feeling sidelined. This decision reflects the complexities his administration faces in implementing such policies across New York City.
During a City Council meeting on Tuesday, Mike Flynn, the head of the Department of Transportation, candidly revealed that the city is not adopting a “universal daylighting” strategy at its 40,000 intersections. This stands in stark contrast to Mamdani’s earlier campaign pledges as a democratic socialist committed to pedestrian safety.
The concept of “daylighting” involves prohibiting parking near crosswalks to enhance pedestrian visibility and safety. However, Flynn indicated that New York City will evaluate intersections individually rather than applying a blanket policy. “Daylighting is certainly an important tool, but as we’ve discussed, we consider each location’s unique conditions and context with a holistic approach,” Flynn explained.
Earlier in his campaign, Mamdani had confidently stated at a mayoral forum in February that all intersections in the city “deserve to be daylighted.”
However, the reality of implementing such a widespread initiative could result in the loss of 300,000 parking spaces and potentially cost the city a staggering $3 billion, presenting a significant financial and logistical challenge.
Enacting universal daylighting could shed 300,000 parking spots across the Big Apple and cost the city up to $3 billion dollars.
The about-face is the latest flip-flop from the mayor, who took office in January as he contends with the realities of running the massive operation of city government.
Mamdani was dubbed a “class traitor” by some of his Democratic Socialists of America comrades after re-starting homeless encampment sweeps during the recent cold snap that claimed 29 New Yorkers’ lives, despite his pledge to stop the policy.
Hizzoner also promised that his freebie-filled agenda would be paid for by raising income taxes on the rich but is now threatening to raise property taxes by nearly 10% to balance his first budget as mayor.
Gov. Kathy Hochul and the state legislature would have to OK an income tax hike, but Mamdani and the City Council can up property taxes without getting the state to sign off.
“The Mamdani Administration is committed to following the data, listening to the evidence, and working with City Council and our experienced advocacy partners to expand daylighting effectively and maximize street safety across the five boroughs,” Mamdani spokeswoman Dora Pekec said in a statement.
