Mamdani called old subway station a "testament to the importance of public transit to the vitality, the health and the legacy of our city." He then announced the appointment of Mike Flynn as his new Department of Transportation commissioner.
Public oath to be taken Thursday afternoon

Mamdani will publicly take the oath of office, administered by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, on Thursday at 1 p.m. at City Hall. CBS News New York will stream the ceremony live.

The new mayor's public swearing-in will accompany a block party celebration in Lower Manhattan that runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Anyone planning to attend must RSVP online.

Dubbed the "Inauguration of a New Era," it will take place in the famed "Canyon of Heroes," from Liberty Street to Murray Street — an historic stretch along Broadway. The route is famous for ticker-tape parades that have honored athletes, astronauts, politicians and New York heroes.

The celebration will include music, performances and interfaith elements, Mamdani's transition team said.

Mamdani's inauguration is expected to draw media attention from across the country and around the world.

"I think there is really going to be a lot of energy. I think many of us who have had a chance to cover Mamdani and to photograph him have really seen the charisma up close, and I think he has really been able to like create these connections to so many different New Yorkers," photographer Amanda Briggs said.

In preparation for the transfer of power, Mamdani appointed five new high-ranking members of his administration over the last two days, including a new city schools chancellor, Kamar Samuels.
What to know about new DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn

With more than two decades of experience in both the public and private sectors, Flynn will be counted on to help Mamdani achieve many of his affordability goals, including free buses, one of the new mayor's signature policy proposals.

"It is an honor to have Mike here alongside me as we embark on an administration that will take seriously the responsibility and the opportunity we have to make this streetscape and the public transit of the city we call home the envy of the world," Mamdani said during the swearing-in ceremony. "And it will require someone who's experienced, who is fluent in the landscape as it is, and who is ambitious and imaginative towards the landscape, as it could be. And I can think of no better person than the man alongside me."

Prior to his appointment, Flynn was a vice president and sector manager for TYLin City Solutions, where he, according to Mamdani's transition website, "supported teams of engineers, planners, designers, and community outreach specialists working across disciplines to solve complex transportation, development, and infrastructure challenges throughout the New York City region."

Earlier in his career, Flynn worked for the New York City Department of Transportation for almost 10 years, holding senior leadership positions, including Director of Capital Planning and Project Initiation, a role in which he "guided the planning and delivery of major capital street improvement projects supporting traffic safety, bus priority, and new public spaces citywide," Mamdani's website says.

"I am honored by the trust Mayor Zohran Mamdani has placed in me to lead the Department of Transportation and work alongside this team to deliver for New Yorkers. Transportation is essential to affordability and quality of life, it determines how people get to work, school, and home safely. I look forward to building a DOT that moves faster, puts safety first, and delivers real wins for working New Yorkers," Flynn said in a statement.
What transportation experts say about Mike Flynn

Some experts on transportation in the Big Apple say Flynn is an excellent choice to lead the department going forward.

"RPA applauds the Mamdani Administration for appointing Mike Flynn as DOT Commissioner. He is a well-respected expert and leader in city transportation policy and we are excited to help him carry out a vision for better bus service and safer streets," Kate Slevin, executive vice president of the Regional Plan Association, said in a statement.

"Mike knows the agency, the city and its streets from the inside out," added former city DOT commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan. "Mike will be a strong voice for Mayor Mamdani and for all New Yorkers in making transportation work for them, and for turning proposals into projects in the ground that will make the city's streets safer, more accessible and affordable."

Time to see how the far right wing uniparty tries to ruin him since they couldn't stop him from getting elected.

>>1470487
>The 34-year-old democratic socialist
Wow, he's hung onto socialism well past the normal age.
Good luck NYC. The babyman's in charge now.

>>1470509
The Right Wing “Uniparty” cannot stop Mamdani - Mamdani can only stop himself.

>>1470518
He's probably going to waste all the city's money on Legos. Then he'll be all like, "I bought these for US so we can share, but they'll stay at my house"

>>1470509
>the mainstream democrat
ftfu
the "far-right" love the guy anon he has more in common with them then democrat politicians and he's not sucking up to Israel
he's the closest we'll get to bernie sanders without going to the unhinged far-left side

>>1470522
>mainstream
I wish, the democrats are all right wing pushing corporate interests over the people.
We need actual liberals back to save the country.

>>1470522
>without going to the unhinged far-left side
He wants tax brackets for different races anon. This is as close as we've come to 2020 levels of leftist insanity.

>>1470542
Not this shit again.

>>1470543
Don't get mad at me, it was on his platform.

>>1470544
No it wasn't. You're taking him out of context again out of desperation.

>>1470546
He uses the term 'leftist' of course he's a pro fascist propagandist spreading lies for his corporate masters to smear Mamdani because he dares to work for the people and not the rich like every republican.

>>1470546
what part of 'white neighborhoods' is taken out of context?
are they referring to the paint job?

>>1470548
do you feel white or american yet

>>1470548
>The part of the statement Mamdani claimed was taken out of context was that the term "
'whiter neighborhoods'" was used as a "description of neighborhoods, not a description of intent".

>The original phrase from his campaign's property tax reform proposal read: "Shift the tax burden from overtaxed homeowners in the outer boroughs to more expensive homes in richer and whiter neighborhoods".

>Mamdani's argument for context is:

> A description of existing demographics: He stated he was "just naming things as they are" regarding the current racial demographics and wealth disparities in certain New York City neighborhoods that benefit from the city's inequitable property tax system.

> Focus on property value, not race: He clarified that the intent of the policy was to correct a long-standing, legally vulnerable property tax system that disproportionately benefits owners of expensive properties (which happen to be in predominantly white areas) by artificially capping their assessments.

> Goal of fairness: The ultimate goal of the proposed tax reform was to create a fair system based on property values and income, not race, ensuring a more equitable and affordable city for all residents. He emphasized that the policy was "not driven by race".

>>1470554
>He clarified
He got caught out using race as a qualifier and had to amend his previous statements because he said the quiet part out loud. Except he was referring to rich whites, not rich (((whites))).

>>1470556
caught out by whom?

>>1470556
Sounds like you're using the classic conservative playbook of using race to keep the poor fighting amongst themselves instead of against the rich corporate whores who ruined America along with the conservatives.