Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani announced his recommendation of Melanie Hartzog and Janette Sadik-Khan to serve on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Board, underscoring his administration's commitment to delivering a safe, affordable and reliable transit system.
Hartzog and Sadik-Khan bring a wealth of experience in government, nonprofit leadership and transportation policy. If confirmed by the New York State Senate, they will help advance the Mayor's vision for a transit system that works for riders, including his commitment to making buses fast and free. Mayor Mamdani also announced that Dan Garodnick, former New York City Council Member and former Director of the Department of City Planning, and David Jones, President and CEO of the Community Service Society of New York, will continue to serve on the MTA Board as mayoral appointees.
"Millions of New Yorkers use public transit every day to get to their jobs, take their children to school and visit loved ones. They should not settle for a system that is expensive, unreliable and inaccessible. My administration is committed to building a transit system that people can count on - one with fast buses, reliable service and public infrastructure that meets the needs of a growing city," said Mayor Mamdani. "Melanie and Janette have dedicated their careers to delivering results for New Yorkers, and alongside Dan and David, they will help ensure that this city gets fast and free buses, and that riders have strong advocates at the table. I'm grateful for their willingness to serve."
"As a lifelong New Yorker, I understand just how essential our public transportation system is to the people of this city because I use it every day and always have," said Melanie Hartzog, President and CEO of The New York Foundling. "I'm honored by Mayor Mamdani's recommendation that I serve as a member of the MTA's Board of Directors and by the opportunity to help ensure our transit system is not just affordable, accessible and reliable, but delivers the level of service New Yorkers expect and deserve."
"The New York City region works because its transit system works," said Janette Sadik-Khan, principal with Bloomberg Associates and former Commissioner of the NYC Department of Transportation. "As we enter a new transportation era, we need a transportation action plan that matches our ambitions. I am grateful to Mayor Mamdani for the opportunity to serve on the MTA Board and to be a vote and a voice for all riders looking for affordable transportation and the access that our buses and rail provide to jobs, housing and opportunities."
About Melanie Hartzog
Melanie Hartzog is the President and CEO of The New York Foundling, one of New York's longest-serving nonprofit organizations. The Foundling serves more than 30,000 people every year in the New York area and Puerto Rico and has more than 40 programs across five service lines including child welfare, developmental disabilities, education, juvenile justice and health and behavioral health.
Prior to joining The Foundling, Hartzog served as New York City's Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services, overseeing the city's social service agencies. She previously served as the Director of the Mayor's Office of Management and Budget, where she oversaw the largest municipal budget in the United States, responsible for funding all city programs and services for New Yorkers. Before joining the Office of Management and Budget, Hartzog served as Executive Director of the Children's Defense Fund. Previously, she served as Family Services Coordinator for the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services and Deputy Commissioner of the Administration for Children's Services. She also led a social services unit in the Mayor's Office of Management and Budget, and she was Director of Policy and Advocacy for the Human Services Council of New York City, Inc.
Hartzog holds a Master of Science degree from the New School's Milano School of International Affairs, Management and Urban Policy and Bachelor of Arts from Eckerd College.
About Janette Sadik-Khan
Janette Sadik-Khan was Commissioner of the NYC Department of Transportation from 2007-2013 under Mayor Michael Bloomberg, leading one of the most sweeping revitalizations of the city's streets in a half-century.
During her tenure, New York City added nearly 400 miles of bike lanes and the first parking-protected bike paths in North America. The department she led set in motion more than 60 plazas across the city, including the historic plazas that opened Broadway through Times Square to people, sparking economic recovery throughout the area. She collaborated with the MTA to launch the city's first seven rapid bus lines and oversaw hundreds of intersection and street redesigns that contributed to the city's record-low traffic fatalities. Sadik-Khan oversaw the 2013 launch of Citi Bike, which sees more than 200,000 daily rides and which has expanded to become the world's largest city bike share system outside of Asia.
She currently advises mayors of cities around the world as a principal at Bloomberg Associates, a pro bono consultancy that is part of Bloomberg Philanthropies. She has assisted mayors and their teams in developing safer, people-focused street redesigns in cities like Detroit, Chicago, Mexico City, Bogotá and Bratislava, including the building of 60 pedestrian plazas in neighborhoods across Milan and assisting London Mayor Sadiq Khan with the sweeping pedestrianization of Oxford Street.
Sadik-Khan was a Senior Vice President of Parsons Brinckerhoff, a leading international engineering firm. Previously, she worked in Washington, D.C., as a Deputy Administrator at the US Department of Transportation. She holds a B.A. in Political Science from Occidental College, and a J.D. from Columbia University School of Law.
