Bloomberg's transportation plan envisions walkable, transit-rich neighborhoods

Michael Bloomberg has unveiled a comprehensive transportation plan for his presidential campaign that would reduce greenhouse gases and improve air quality nationwide by giving neighborhoods better access to zero-emission transportation options. “Americans increasingly prefer to live in communities where it’s easier to take transit, bike, or walk to get where they’re going,” the plan reads.

Bloomberg has tapped Janette Sadik-Khan, transportation principal for Bloomberg Associates and former New York City Department of Transportation head who helped him convert dozens of the city’s streets into walkable plazas and multimodal boulevards, to serve as the candidate’s senior advisor on the campaign.

What’s notable about Bloomberg’s plan, compared to other candidates, is a central focus on increased investment in public transit and infrastructure for biking and walking. One of Bloomberg’s most consequential moves, Sadik-Khan says, would be changing the way transportation is funded at the federal level to make options like transit, walking, and biking “as appealing as driving,” taking direct aim at the country’s dependence on cars.

As one way to kickstart more walkable communities, Bloomberg would launch a competitive grant program to install car-free zones including superblocks in 10 large and 10 small communities, which is very similar to a program that’s already underway through his philanthropy.

https://www.curbed.com/2020/1/17/21069291/bloomberg-transportation-plan-sadik-khan