Lessons from London

New York and London are two world cities with much in common – but when it comes to bicycle infrastructure design and safety, London has pulled ahead to the point where, if the current trend continues, there will soon be more people biking to the city center than driving. London has nearly fifty percent more bike journeys per day than New York, but fewer bike deaths. Yet despite these successes, several challenges remain for cyclists across the pond. As advocates and experts work to make New York a world-class biking city, what can the London model teach us? Panelists:

William Bradley, Policy Officer, Greater London Authority

William worked for former Mayor Boris Johnson’s administration to deliver his Cycling Vision, supporting the Cycling Commissioner, Andrew Gilligan, in delivering a £913 million investment in Cycle Superhighways, Quietways, Mini Hollands, Better Junctions and  the Safer Lorry Scheme. He is now working with the new Mayor, Sadiq Khan, to build on this legacy, including the embedding of the Healthy Streets approach into the re-design of London’s roads. Jon Orcutt, Director of Communications and Advocacy, TransitCenter Jon was Director of Policy at the NYC Dept. of Transportation from 2007 to 2014. He oversaw development of NYCDOT’s new strategic plan and was a leader of the team that delivered major design innovations to New York City streets. Jon managed creation of the CitiBike bike share system and development of NYC’s initial Vision Zero policy. Jon had previously served as executive director of both Transportation Alternatives and the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, leading New York transportation reform organizations. Dulcie Canton, Upper Manhattan Organizer, Transportation Alternatives Dulcie is the Upper Manhattan Organizer for Transportation Alternatives, where she leads campaigns for better access to the Harlem River Bridges and complete streets on Dyckman Street and Amsterdam Avenue,  An avid cyclist, she competed in the Brompton World Championships in London this summer. She is also a member of Families for Safe Streets, and was previously a Senior Ambassador for TransAlt, doing outreach for better bike infrastructure around New York City. She lives in Brooklyn.

Ryan Russo, Deputy Commissioner for Transportation Planning and Management, NYC DOT

Ryan is the New York City Department of Transportation’s Deputy Commissioner for Transportation Planning & Management where he leads planning and operational offices responsible for pedestrian & bicycle programs, traffic safety & engineering, regional and strategic planning, geometric design, sign manufacture & installation, and transit development. He has served at DOT for the past 13 years, during that time he lead the development of innovative street designs that dramatically improved mobility and safety for all New Yorkers, including the redesign of Broadway throughout midtown and Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn.  He oversees the development and implementation of the street improvements for the City’s Vision Zero initiative, which is focused on reducing death and serious injuries to pedestrians from traffic crashes. Ryan is currently overseeing a project to dramatically improve safety and walkability along the Queens Boulevard corridor.

Moderator: Henry Grabar, Staff Writer, Slate Henry Grabar is a journalist who writes about cities, systems, maps and machines. Previously, he was the senior editor at Urban Omnibus, the magazine of the Architectural League of New York, and the author of the Science of Cities column for Next City and the Dream City column for Salon. He has written about disaster preparation in Boston, coastal flooding in Long Island, embassy architecture in Cairo, historic preservation in Havana, war monuments in Sarajevo, and air pollution in Mexico City. Here in New York, he can often be found riding his bike.