Power Lists
The 2024 Transportation Power 100
The leaders who decide how New Yorkers get around.
City & State presents the 2024 Transportation Power 100. Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images
.png)
If anyone needs an answer on how one person can instantly transform New York, they need to look no further than June 5, when Gov. Kathy Hochul halted congestion pricing. While Hochul returned to her roots as an anti-toll crusader, many criticized her abrupt decision as a death knell for any substantial improvements to New York City’s mass transit system. Yet the decision was popular with suburbanites and car-owning outer borough denizens as well as Manhattanites and others who had been waging battle to end the plan.
While the demise – at least for now – of congestion pricing dominates the headlines, it is not New York’s only transportation policy story. Across the state, plans are underway to reconnect communities torn apart by highways. Another proposal to address the aging Brooklyn-Queens Expressway has been unveiled. Gleaming airport terminals are being unveiled. A new “blue highway” to move goods between the five boroughs by boat would reduce truck traffic. And a long-delayed train tunnel under the Hudson River is advancing amid commuter complaints about train delays.
Check out the movers and shakers who are keeping New Yorkers in motion.
Featured Q&A:
An Interview with Christian Henry, SVP and GM, Cubic Transportation Systems
1. Rick Cotton
In seven years at the helm of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Rick Cotton has established himself as one of the top transportation officials in the country. On his watch, major renovations have transformed all three New York City-area airports. A major renovation of the Port Authority Bus Terminal has started, including adding office towers and retail space. Cotton has also unveiled a new tap-and-go system for the PATH, part of a $430 million upgrade. At the seaport, he is leading a $32 million project to deepen and widen the Gravesend Anchorage and a $19 million project to prepare for a deepening of the entire harbor.
2. Marie Therese Dominguez
If there is one thing transportation officials cannot overlook, it is snow removal. State Transportation Department Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said the state was in good shape this winter, down only 20 plow drivers from last year. New York fended off recruitment issues facing other states by focusing on driver pay. Dominguez has also been focused on projects to reconnect communities. She unveiled a new on-demand public transportation system in Rome, announced a major road investment for Rockland County, reopened a Wayne County bridge over the Erie Canal and teamed up with the New York State Police to crack down on trucks hitting overpasses.
3. Janno Lieber
Janno Lieber started June on track to become the most transformative Metropolitan Transportation Authority leader since Dick Ravitch, but within days Lieber’s world changed. In the wake of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s decision to indefinitely postpone congestion pricing and its projected $1 billion in annual revenue to fund the MTA’s capital plan, Lieber has been left figuring out what to do next. Lieber said the agency will shelve the ambitious capital improvements – such as an extension of the Second Avenue subway – and focus on maintaining the aging infrastructure.
4. Meera Joshi
Meera Joshi keeps the city that never sleeps on the move. The deputy mayor for operations oversees New York City’s sprawling infrastructure portfolio and has an ambitious transportation agenda, including expanding red-light cameras, reducing freight traffic and improving bike lanes. This year, Joshi saw her transportation portfolio expand, taking a seat on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board – and then coming out against the pause on congestion pricing. In June, Joshi released a plan to rebuild the triple cantilever portion of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. Following the cargo ship crash that destroyed a Baltimore bridge, the former federal official assured New Yorkers that the city’s bridges are safe.
5. Ydanis Rodriguez & Margaret Forgione
As New York City’s top transportation officials, Ydanis Rodriguez and Margaret Forgione are focused on keeping New Yorkers on the move, in every way possible. Rodriguez, a former New York City Council Transportation Committee chair, has been the public face of the department. The Mayor Eric Adams ally announced plans to install pay-by-plate parking meters in the city and an $11 million incentive program to push small businesses to switch to off-hours delivery to reduce congestion while spearheading negotiations to implement a new $5 billion plan to fix the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. Forgione is a three-decade veteran of the department, where she has served as Manhattan borough commissioner, chief operating officer, first deputy commissioner and acting commissioner. As first deputy commissioner, she oversees the activities of the department’s operational divisions.
6. Leroy Comrie
State Sen. Leroy Comrie and the state Legislature’s Corporations, Authorities and Commissions Committees hold New York’s vast network of public authorities, including the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, accountable. Comrie has been focused on improving the region’s airports, currently scrutinizing traffic flow issues around the recently renovated John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport. He also opposes congestion pricing, citing the impact on eastern Queens residents. Comrie has been pushing expanded transit options for Queens residents, including celebrating a new discount monthly ticket plan on the Long Island Rail Road. Kenneth Zebrowski, who chaired the Assembly Corporations, Authorities and Commissions Committee this session, resigned in July after deciding not to seek reelection. Zebrowski, a former Rockland County lawmaker, was a vocal congestion pricing opponent.
7. Jeremy Cooney & William Magnarelli
Longtime Assembly Transportation Committee Chair William Magnarelli has been focused on ways to make New York’s roads safer. This past session, Magnarelli pushed issues including expanding the definition of driving while impaired to include new synthetic drugs. In the fall, the Central New York lawmaker celebrated a new law signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul that expands the use of red-light cameras and school zone speed cameras in Syracuse. State Sen. Jeremy Cooney assumed the top spot on the Senate Transportation Committee in April after Tim Kennedy left for Congress. The Rochester Democrat’s transportation vision for the state includes bolstering transit connections to spur job growth, possible high-speed rail to the North Country from New York City, expanding transportation options across the state and increasing direct flights out of airports statewide. Cooney said he views the job to be “chief cheerleader for infrastructure.”
8. Anthony Coscia
In January, Anthony Coscia was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to another term on the Amtrak board of directors, providing the passenger rail agency with continuity at the top as it moves into the construction phase of the massive Gateway rail project. Coscia has been a main proponent of the project, which recently received an additional $6.88 billion in federal funding. Coscia is a former chair of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and a partner at Windels Marx specializing in redevelopment finance, commercial real estate and corporate governance.
9. Alicia Glen
Alicia Glen is no stranger to big projects, but now she’s involved in her biggest one yet, the construction of a new train tunnel under the Hudson River. In June, federal officials confirmed an additional $6.88 billion in federal funds for the critical $16 billion Gateway project, making the federal government the primary funder. Gateway officials are in the process of hiring firms and saying there is no turning back now. The former New York City deputy mayor is the founder of a real estate development firm, MSquared.
10. Robert Free & Catherine Rinaldi
Catherine Rinaldi stopped pulling double duty in October, ending her 20-month interim leadership of the Long Island Rail Road to focus solely on running the Metro-North system, which she has led since 2018. Rinaldi has a full plate in her role overseeing commuter rail between Manhattan, the Hudson Valley and Connecticut, with tasks ranging from building four new stations in the Bronx to clearing tracks in Westchester County following a mud slide outside of Tarrytown. Rinaldi presided over a renovation of Metro-North’s maintenance hub in Croton-on-Hudson, a project she said would increase service and reliability.
Robert Free is a Long Island Rail Road lifer, starting at the commuter rail agency as a station cleaner and working his way up to be named the 42nd president of LIRR in April, following a six-month stint as acting president. In his prior role as chief transportation officer for LIRR, Free was a key part of the team for the rollout of its service at Grand Central Madison and opened a new LIRR in Elmont. As acting president, he oversaw a 95% on-time service for the first quarter of this year. Free has said that safety, reliability and customer service are his top priorities as president.
11. Selvena Brooks-Powers
New York City Council Member Selvena Brooks-Powers wants to protect people who use parking garages in the city. The City Council’s majority whip and transportation chair has passed legislation to require a comprehensive structural integrity study of the city’s parking garages, a response to the 2023 collapse of a garage on Ann Street in lower Manhattan. Brooks-Powers has been vigorously monitoring the redevelopment of John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport to reduce the impact on surrounding communities and ensure compliance with MWBE procurement goals.
12. John Samuelsen
John Samuelsen isn’t mincing words about Gov. Kathy Hochul, calling her a “backstabbing disaster” and “an absolute enemy” of his union who wants to slash commuter rail worker benefits amid contentious contract negotiations. Samuelsen also quit the Traffic Mobility Review Board for congestion pricing abruptly last fall, saying the MTA should have expanded express bus service before looking at congestion pricing, spurring a public war of words with the MTA’s Janno Lieber. Then, this summer, he described the governor’s congestion pricing pause as a case of “I told you so.”
13. Jamie Torres-Springer
Jamie Torres-Springer joined the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in 2021 to take charge of the transit agency’s ambitious capital plan after serving as commissioner of the New York City Department of Design and Construction. Torres-Springer expected $1 billion annually in congestion pricing revenue to finance a plan that would deliver once in a generation change for New York City’s subway system, while also making major improvements for the region’s commuter rail system. With Gov. Kathy Hochul’s indefinite pause in congestion pricing, Torres-Springer’s job has shifted to keeping the trains running on time.
14. Bhairavi Desai
Bhairavi Desai’s calls for a full exemption from congestion pricing for New York City taxi drivers may have not been heard by some powers that be, but such complaints about affordability ultimately swayed the most powerful woman in the state. Desai argued that taxi drivers are still struggling from the rise in ride-hailing apps and would be hurt economically with a congestion toll, resulting in a discount from the MTA. Desai has also taken aim at Uber and Lyft lately, claiming that the apps are locking drivers out to reduce their payments.
15. David Do
David Do is driving the biggest transformation of New York City’s for-hire vehicle industry since the first taxi medallion was handed out. Last year, Do announced the Green Rides Initiative, which lifted the city’s cap on for-hire vehicles but required that all new for-hire vehicles be either electric or wheelchair-accessible. Do has also overseen minimum driver pay rules for ride-hailing apps and debt relief for thousands of medallion owners. Do announced that while more yellow cabs are on the streets than last year, rider demand has not caught up.
16. Frank Hoare
For Frank Hoare, the acting is over. Following almost 18 months as interim executive director and acting executive director, Hoare was confirmed by the state Senate in April as the executive director of the Thruway Authority. Hoare’s confirmation comes as the authority is launching a $19 million resurfacing plan in Albany and Schenectady counties and a $13 million work plan for Herkimer and Montgomery counties. Hoare has also announced the first five adult changing rooms at Thruway rest stops.
17. Joanna Geraghty
Joanna Geraghty made American aviation history in February as the first woman to run a major airline when she assumed the top spot at JetBlue after a six-year tenure as the airline’s president and chief operating officer. Geraghty’s promotion comes as the Queens-based budget airline seeks a reset after a blocked merger with Spirit Airlines. Geraghty, who succeeded Robin Hayes as JetBlue’s CEO, is starting to lay out a vision for the future of the airline, which is a major player in New York’s aviation ecosystem.
18. Ryan Marzullo
Ryan Marzullo just passed a major milestone in the massive redevelopment of Delta Airlines’ operations at LaGuardia Airport: the opening of the new terminal, which is now 80% complete. The swanky new terminal, which features a more modern and open design and better technology to move passengers through the airport and security faster, will include 37 gates across four concourses when it is completed. The new terminal also features the airline’s largest SkyClub lounge and an airfield redesign to increase plane circulation.
19. Tom Wright
In 2017, influential transportation thought leader Tom Wright led the development of a new regional plan that called for congestion pricing, a new train tunnel under the Hudson River and a major subway modernization. Now only the train tunnel is on track, with congestion pricing being shelved at the eleventh hour by Gov. Kathy Hochul, calling into question whether other subway projects will go unfunded. Wright is trying to rally public support for congestion pricing in the wake of Hochul’s decision, noting the benefits similar plans have had in London and Stockholm for the environment, public health and mass transit.
20. Mike Lawler & Nicole Malliotakis
Gov. Kathy Hochul’s decision to indefinitely delay congestion pricing is a big win for Rep. Nicole Malliotakis of Staten Island and Hudson Valley Rep. Mike Lawler, who have been battling the proposal on the airwaves and on Capitol Hill. The two New York Republicans assailed the plan, saying it would hurt their constituents who head into Manhattan. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a New Jersey Democrat, was another key suburban voice in the bipartisan push against congestion pricing, releasing a congressional report on the economic impact on commuters.
21. Vito Fossella & Michael Mulgrew
Politics – and congestion pricing – make for strange bedfellows. Michael Mulgrew, president of the powerful United Federation of Teachers, teamed up with Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella in a lawsuit that aimed to block the controversial Manhattan tolling plan. This lawsuit proved to be part of the mix of forces that led Gov. Kathy Hochul to indefinitely delay the implementation of the program. Mulgrew said the proposal would shift pollution from Manhattan into other communities, impacting his outer borough members, while Fossella argued the proposal would have an adverse economic impact on the constituents in a borough where tolls have long been a political issue.
22. Jennifer Aument
Jennifer Aument has extensive experience in her field – and is now taking on one of the biggest challenges in American transportation. Aument started this year as the CEO of The New Terminal One at JFK, a private consortium behind the redevelopment of the airport’s international terminal with the $9 billion first phase scheduled to open in 2026. New Terminal One is the largest single-asset project financed in American history and the nation’s largest public-private partnership. Aument is a former CEO of AECOM’s global transportation business and spent a decade as a commissioner of the Virginia Port Authority.
23. Suzette Noble
There is perhaps no bigger job in aviation than the renovation of LaGuardia Airport, once famously compared to a “Third World country” by then-Vice President Joe Biden. Vantage Airport Group executive Suzette Noble has been a key part of the Terminal B renovation leadership team, first as chief operating officer and since last fall as chief executive officer of the award-winning LaGuardia Gateway Partners consortium. The former Disney executive is bringing principles from her time with Mickey Mouse, treating passengers as guests and improving the overall airport experience.
24. Steve Thody
Steve Thody has one of the most high-profile tasks in New York transportation: managing Terminal 7 at Kennedy International Airport and overseeing the construction of a new Terminal 6, which is part of the major redevelopment at the airport. Thody previously served as the company’s chief operating officer and interim CEO before assuming the CEO post this spring. He said the new 1.2 million-square-foot terminal will be a boutique-style terminal that is inspired by New York City and will be heavily digital in nature.
25. Roel Huinink
As the operator and developer of the new Terminal 4 at John F. Kennedy International Airport, Roel Huinink is focused on using technology to improve the passenger experience at America’s first privately operated airport terminal. Among Huinink’s innovations are improving passenger flow throughout the terminal and bringing holographic experiences of the Bronx Zoo animals to the terminal in a partnership with the Wildlife Conservation Society. Huinink has developed an artificial intelligence-powered retail concept in the terminal that allows for a contactless shopping experience.
26. Josh Gold
As a top lobbyist for a ride-hailing app that is now a household word, Josh Gold navigates the complexities of state governments, a progressive push on pay minimums for drivers and a taxicab industry seeking to counter ride-hailing apps. Gold has been addressing growing calls for driver minimum pay standards at the state level, brought in part by state Attorney General Leitita James’ settlement with Uber. Gold was part of a compromise solution on driver pay in Minnesota, but he warned that Twin City riders may face higher rates.
27. Chris Larsen & Paul Atkins
Nanuet-based Halmar International has its hands in some of the biggest and most visible transportation construction projects in New York. In conjunction with Skanska, Halmar won a $1.24 billion project to reconstruct the roadways around John F. Kennedy International Airport, a critical element of the large-scale renovation of the busy airport. This follows the company’s award-winning rebuild of the Kew Gardens Interchange, which connects a number of key Queens highways on the way to the airports. Halmar is part of a team that is a finalist to construct the Manhattan end of the new Gateway rail tunnel.
28. Mark J. F. Schroeder
The DMV conjures up thoughts of long lines, monotonous bureaucrats and beige everywhere. But Mark J. F. Schroeder is shaking up the agency in New York, becoming a modernizer in the process. Schroeder has debuted a new digital ID version of state driver’s licenses, including a partnership with the U.S. Transportation Security Administration to use digital identification for plane travel. Schroeder is in the process of overhauling the agency’s entire patchwork of computer programs. He also unveiled new license plates with every Zodiac sign and wrote new regulations targeting dangerous drivers.
29. Renae Reynolds
Gov. Kathy Hochul and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy may be two of the most powerful people in the tri-state area, but to Renae Reynolds they are just speed bumps. The Tri-State Transportation Campaign leader is spearheading a campaign to get Hochul to reverse herself on ending congestion pricing and to get the project started up right away. Reynolds has previously led rallies to tell Murphy to stop focusing on blocking congestion pricing and instead spend more time on New Jersey’s transportation policy.
30. Elizabeth Adams & Megan Eiss
Transportation Alternatives has a new nickname for Gov. Kathy Hochul – “Congestion Kathy” – after the governor’s abrupt decision to indefinitely pause congestion pricing in New York City. The advocacy group – which recently saw Danny Harris depart as executive director – is leading rallies against Hochul’s decision, noting that the plan would have funded necessary upgrades to the city’s mass transit system, including upgrading accessibility to the city’s 343 subway stations. Transportation Alternatives has also unveiled an initiative for a safer 42nd Street, calling for dedicated bus lanes, a protected bike lane and wider sidewalks on the busy crosstown street.
31. Patrick Knoth & Caroline Samponaro
Patrick Knoth and Caroline Samponaro are improving micromobility in New York City and getting New Yorkers on board with two-wheel transportation. The pair are aiming to increase Citi Bike access and e-bike technology as part of the short-term bike rental program, which was acquired by the ride-hailing company Lyft in 2018. Samponaro, a veteran of the advocacy group Transportation Alternatives, came on just before the acquisition and helped Lyft improve Citi Bike’s operations. Knoth, an attorney, joined Lyft in 2021, and became general manager of Citi Bike last year.
32. Mike Elmendorf
Every state budget cycle is the same in certain ways, and one is Mike Elmendorf’s advocacy for more funding for the state’s roads and bridges. A top highway construction advocate, Elmendorf formed a coalition this year to push for increased state investment in addition to federal infrastructure dollars. He has argued that inflation has raised material costs and has reduced the impact of transportation spending. He also called for the expansion of the work zone speed camera program, saying it is needed to protect highway construction workers.
33. Michael Fleischer
Michael Fleischer uses experience honed as a state Senate staffer and as a top state transportation leader to serve his clients at the lobbying powerhouse of Brown & Weinraub, which has maintained its status as New York’s top government relations firm. Fleischer spent eight years as the executive director of the New York State Thruway Authority, where he led the busy toll road and the state’s canal system, including developing and implementing a new capital program. Prior to the Thruway, he was first deputy state transportation commissioner.
34. Michael Woloz
Michael Woloz is an experienced government relations professional to know if you want to get something done in New York. The managing partner at CMW Strategies is a key behind-the-scenes player in a number of critical issues in the state, including within the transportation sphere. CMW Strategies’ transportation clients include electric vehicle charging company Voltpost, taxi technology company CMT Group, the Metropolitan Taxicab Board of Trade and the Metropolitan Parking Association.
35. Jerry Jannetti & David Weiss
Long Island commuters using Penn Station may not know Jerry Jannetti and David Weiss, but the duo from powerhouse engineering firm WSP USA have made their commutes better. WSP was the program management consultant for the recently completed project to overhaul Penn Station’s Long Island Rail Road concourse, including raising ceiling heights, modernizing lighting, improving passenger travel and easing congestion on the concourse. The project received the Best Project in Airports/Transit award from Engineering News-Record New York.
36. Fred Hiffa
An experienced New York transportation expert with experience in and out of government, Fred Hiffa uses his vast knowledge to help Park Strategies’ clients navigate the complexities of state transportation policy. Hiffa is a former first deputy commissioner of the state Department of Transportation and has worked in the state Legislature. At former U.S. Sen. Al D’Amato’s powerhouse lobbying shop, Hiffa assists clients on transportation issues – including highway construction, aviation, rail and transit – as well as energy, mining and environmental siting matters.
37. Kendra Hems
Kendra Hems, an advocate for the trucking industry in New York, notched a big win with the demise of congestion pricing. Hems had filed a federal lawsuit to block the tolling program, saying that it would harm truck drivers making deliveries in Manhattan – and she applauded the governor when it was shelved this summer. Hems, who has led the Trucking Association of New York since 2008, has advocated for improved highway safety and more efficient freight delivery and also championed legislation that tasks New York City with building overnight truck parking space.
38. Robert Wessels
The Gateway project to build train tunnels under the Hudson River and other rail upgrades along the Northeast Corridor have many supporters – and Robert Wessels, the head of the General Contractors Association of New York, is one of them. The chief advocate for the heavy construction industry in the New York City region, Wessels has also called for increased safety for road workers, including campaigns to remind drivers to slow down in work zones. The GCA, which he has led since 2019, represents some 300 heavy civil construction and professional services firms.
39. Marc Herbst
As the leading advocate for Long Island’s construction contractors, Marc Herbst has said the region is benefiting from a number of recent projects. Yet Herbst is concerned if that pace can continue, saying that the impact of inflation has caused contracting costs to rise and the state’s five-year capital plan may only have enough funds for four years. A newly confirmed Metropolitan Transportation Authority board member, Herbst is supportive of congestion pricing, saying it has been thoroughly researched and would allow for key transit projects to be undertaken.
40. Dan Goldman, Andrew Gounardes & Alexa Aviles
First-term Rep. Dan Goldman is guiding the future of Brooklyn’s waterfront. With New York City taking control of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal from the Port Authority, Goldman will chair a task force to chart out future use of the terminal. State Sen. Andrew Gounardes and New York City Council Member Alexa Avilés serve alongside Goldman as vice chairs of the task force. The group will develop a waterfront master plan, including potential housing, recreational and maritime use for the property, which encompasses the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. The three indicated a vision for the marine terminal’s future that provides community usage along with growth of the maritime industry as part of the city’s blue highway supply chain plan. Gounardes has also been a proponent of safer streets, passing recent legislation to dramatically increase the number of red-light cameras and criticizing the loss of congestion pricing.
41. Mark Schienberg
Mark Schienberg has two distinct roles, one of them well known to the general public – presiding over the popular New York International Auto Show – while the other less visible aspect is advocating for New York’s auto dealers in Albany. He has pressed to make sure state legislators do not advance proposals to work around auto dealers and allow direct sales to the public, a concept that was not on lawmakers’ radar this year. Schienberg has also noted the demand continues to remain high for new cars, a boon for the dealers he represents.
42. John Kovacs & Eric Reid
With a 125-year history of working to develop and build the New York City, AECOM Tishman is a leader in infrastructure consulting – and John Kovacs and Eric Reid are now in charge of moving that legacy forward. The duo took over as co-leads for the firm’s New York region practice last year. Among the New York projects, AECOM Tishman is currently working on the redevelopment and construction of John F. Kennedy International Airport, specifically the new Terminal 1 and Terminal 6.
43. Richard Hendrick & William Scriber
While the vast majority of maritime attention in New York focuses on the Ports of New York and Newark, they are not the only seaports, with the Port of Albany-Rensselaer and the Port of Oswego being key supply chain centers. William Scriber has led the Port of Oswego in a number of expansions and upgrades, including receiving $4.6 million in state funding for freight rail upgrade. The port, the only international grain export center on the Great Lakes, inked a deal with the Army Corps of Engineers in 2022 to dredge the harbor and shipping channels to allow for larger ships, a project expected to begin in 2025. The Albany-Rensselaer port has a $818 million economic impact on the state. The port is the first offshore wind tower manufacturing facility in the country, making the turbines to be used in the growing offshore wind industry downstate. The project is expected to bring over 10,000 jobs and $1 billion in economic impact to the Capital Region. Richard Hendrick, at the helm of the Port of Albany-Rensselaer since 2008, has been working on an almost $100 million capital investment, the largest since the port’s founding in 1932, and has taken part in federal green freight strategy discussions.
44. David Jones
As an advocate for New York’s poorest residents, David Jones has been focused on using his roles at the Community Service Society of New York and on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board to lift up communities. This has included relentlessly advocating for congestion pricing, which he said would improve mass transit options and service for low-income New Yorkers. He is opposed to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s decision to halt the program, also saying it could cause severe fiscal hardship for the MTA.
Editor’s note: David Jones is a member of City & State’s advisory board.
45. Ron Sherman
New York City taxis have long been a staple of American pop culture, so much that they have been the subject of movies and sitcoms. Ron Sherman, who leads the association representing about a quarter of taxicab operators, has long been at the forefront of advocacy and policy debates in the taxi industry. In his other role as chair and CEO of CMT Group, Sherman has worked to integrate Uber into the city’s taxi technology system, allowing for Uber customers to hail yellow cabs in the app.
46. Betsy Plum
Add Betsy Plum to the list of transit advocates to have their hopes of a congestion pricing New York dashed by Gov. Kathy Hochul’s decision to shelve the long-awaited plan. Plum has argued that congestion pricing would improve bus services in the city and allow for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to purchase new buses. Plum cited how London expanded its bus fleet and bus lanes by implementing congestion pricing. In the Bronx, Plum has pushed for the city to expand bus service on Fordham Road.
47. Amy Cohen & Juliane Williams
Amy Cohen and Juliane Williams have turned grief into advocacy, fighting to make New York City’s streets safer after their respective children, Sammy Cohen and Doniqueca Cooke, were killed as pedestrians. They achieved a major victory this year with the passage of Sammy’s Law, which will allow New York City to reduce city speed limits from 25 mph to 20 mph, and from 15 mph to 10 mph in speed zones. Meanwhile, Cohen had a sharp retort to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s congestion pricing pause, saying the decision will increase car crashes and “more people will die.”
48. Gersh Kuntzman
A veteran of over three decades in New York City journalism, Gersh Kuntzman has emerged as one of the most influential voices in the transportation policy space during his tenure as editor-in-chief of Streetsblog New York City. The transportation-focused online publication covers the ins and outs of the sector in New York City, with a focus on congestion pricing and pedestrian safety, among other issues. Kuntzman has crusaded against parking placard abuse and fake license plates, which he says costs the state revenue.
49. Sarah Kaufman
A prominent transportation futurist, Sarah Kaufman is a thought leader on mobility issues. On the matter of congestion pricing in New York City, the Kaufman-led Rudin Center at New York University issued a report saying that increasing accessibility within the mass transit system hinged on the implementation of the program. The report said this would fund necessary improvements, including elevators and ramps. Kaufman, who dropped her “interim” tag at the Rudin Center last fall, also serves as a commissioner on the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission.
50. John Corlett & Robert Sinclair Jr.
AAA is not just for roadside assistance. John Corlett and Robert Sinclair Jr., the group’s top officials in New York, are focusing on making driving safer across the state. Among the recent pushes by AAA is the completion of ignition interlock programs for those convicted of drunk driving and aiming to reduce distracted driving. Corlett has been explaining recent rises in gas prices over the past year, noting how a local refinery in New Jersey being offline, excessive heat and Saudi Arabia oil policy have impacted American gas prices.
51. Jeff Garte
When you are texting on the subway or get that call you needed while traveling around town, Boldyn Networks is behind that. Jeff Garte, who heads up the company’s New York and New Jersey operations, said the company’s underground connectivity network continues to expand, including new connections in the Canarsie Tunnel, the first underwater subway tunnel to be wired in New York City’s mass transit system. Garte said that federal infrastructure will continue to be used to help expand broadband connectivity in the city’s transit network.
52. Mike Finley
New York City is a city that is always on the move – and no matter where New Yorkers are, they want to be connected. Mike Finley at Boingo Wireless is one of the leading players making sure New Yorkers never have to worry about going out of range. Boingo is behind many of the 5G developments throughout the city’s vast transportation network, including at Grand Central Madison and the region’s major airports, where it supports electronic boarding passes and other technology.
52. Christian Henry
For decades, tokens dominated the life of every New York City commuter as the only way to get on the subway before swiping MetroCards became the mode of entry. Now, commuters are adopting OMNY to use mass transit. Christian Henry implemented the OMNY program on New York’s subways and buses, shifting commuting habits into a new phase. Cubic’s work is being applauded, with the company winning the Ticketing Enabler of the Year award last year at the Transport Ticketing Global Summit for its work on OMNY.
54. John Evers
John Evers brings extensive experience in government and advocacy to his efforts on behalf of New York’s engineering companies. He backs congestion pricing, increased investments in transit and transportation statewide, and alternative project delivery methods like design-build. Prior to joining the American Council of Engineering Companies New York in 2021, Evers was a top lobbyist for the Business Council of New York State and headed legislative affairs for the state Department of Taxation and Finance. He also served as operations director for Albany County and was an Assembly staffer.
55. Lisa Daglian
Affordable transit advocate Lisa Daglian has a simple message for Gov. Kathy Hochul: “Unpause the pause” and get congestion pricing up and running. Daglian, the head of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s citizens advisory group, has been a key proponent of congestion pricing and has argued against the governor’s last-minute decision to indefinitely pause the program. She said that the Federal Highway Administration’s approval of the plan – after Hochul announced the pause – shows that congestion pricing works and that the governor should reverse her decision.
56. Carm Basile
Carm Basile is focused on innovative technology and workforce development in Albany region transportation. The veteran Capital District Transportation Authority chief announced a new program with Hudson Valley Community College to create a workforce pipeline program from the college to the authority. Basile is also touting a new on-demand transit program for Amtrak arrivals at Rensselaer’s train station. The CDTA micromobility program includes 400 new electric bikes and the agency is aiming to expand its zero-emission bus fleet from eight to 20.
57. Stephanie Lotshaw
Stephanie Lotshaw ascended to the executive director’s post at the transit research and advocacy organization TransitCenter in the fall after a six-month stint as interim leader. In January, TransitCenter called on state governments to pivot from cars to mass transit, including earmarking federal infrastructure funds for transit and allowing gas tax revenue to be spent on mass transit. TransitCenter has not given up hope for congestion pricing in New York City, noting that Gov. Kathy Hochul did not kill the policy and argues that when enacted it will be a role model for the nation
58. Joe Driscoll
A former rapper and beatboxer, Joe Driscoll is now altering the transportation rhythms of Syracuse. Driscoll is leading city efforts related to the removal of the I-81 viaduct that cuts through the core of Syracuse. Driscoll recently unveiled the city’s vision for the I-81 corridor, developed over the course of a number of community meetings. The vision plan calls for a new community grid street plan to reconnect communities cutoff by the highway, along with a boulevard set in a park-like environment, a new rapid transit bus line and a pedestrian and bicycle-friendly environment.
59. Michael Carrube
In the closing days of this year’s legislative session, state lawmakers gave Michael Carrube a big win with the passage of the “death gamble” bill. The legislation, which is pending before Gov. Kathy Hochul, would close a loophole that says transit workers who work past retirement age but die before filing retirement paperwork would not pass their full pension benefits to their families. Carrube said the bill, a top priority, benefits the workers and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority because experienced transit workers will stay on the job.
60. Marc Buncher
While high-speed rail is common across Europe, it is still picking up steam in the United States – and Siemens Mobility is playing an integral role in building out high-speed rail across the country. Marc Buncher, the company’s leader in North America overseeing more than 30 facilities, applauded President Joe Biden’s investment in rail transportation, saying it will help with the expanding high-speed lines. The company secured a record $2.4 billion contract with Amtrak to design, manufacture and support the upcoming Amtrak Airo fleet.
61. Patrick Hyland
Once the district director for then-Rep. Michael McMahon on Staten Island, Patrick Hyland is now a veteran advocate for New York’s trucking industry. Hyland led a coalition that successfully advocated for passage of the Aggregate Supply Law, which requires the payment of prevailing wages for truck drivers delivering and hauling aggregate materials to public works projects across the state. He has also been pushing legislation related to how congestion pricing impacts commercial vehicles. When the governor halted congestion pricing, she touted support from Hyland and others.
62. Phil Jones & Nicole Yearwood
As New York lobbyists for Lime, an e-bicycle and e-scooter rental company, Phil Jones and Nicole Yearwood are at the forefront of the green micromobility revolution in New York City. Lime is reporting a record year in 2023 for usage in the Bronx, a top area for the company as it seeks to address transit deserts. Lime is also planning an expansion into Queens. The company reported gross bookings nationally of $616 million, a 32% increase over the previous year. Jones handles community engagement initiatives and manages partnerships with city stakeholders and decision-makers, while Yearwood assists with government relations in the Northeast region.
63. Kimberley Minkel
Kimberley Minkel has plenty on her plate, leading Buffalo’s mass transit, airports and small boat harbor. She is overseeing the proposed largest expansion of Buffalo’s subway system, which is slated to extend the 6.1-mile system by seven miles from the University at Buffalo’s South Campus in Buffalo’s University Heights neighborhood to UB’s North Campus in suburban Amherst. This would fulfill a dream first envisioned when Gov. Nelson Rockefeller transformed Amherst, one of upstate’s largest communities, by locating UB's largest campus there.
64. Miguel Velázquez
Since moving up to CEO in late 2022, Miguel Velázquez has been working to move the Rochester region’s public transit system forward. He has expanded a bus route along Bay Street in order to allow riders to reach a plaza that includes the state Labor Department’s Rochester career center, the Monroe County Women, Infants and Children program office and a post office. He worked with Rochester’s federal delegation to win $500,000 in federal funding to improve bus stop accessibility and called for increased state funding for public transit.
65. Ira Goldstein
Under Ira Goldstein's leadership, the Black Car Fund has grown beyond providing workers' compensation to protecting drivers on and off the job with an array of benefits that form a safety net covering over 50,000 for-hire vehicle drivers. Now in its 25th year, the Black Car Fund continues to stand as a model for providing benefits to gig workers. In January, a federal appeals court ruled that Goldstein’s Black Car Fund could legally impose a 2.5% surcharge on noncash tips to help finance the worker’s compensation fund for drivers.
66. Alex Keating
Veo is growing in popularity across New York, in part due to Alex Keating’s efforts heading up policy and partnerships for the California-based company. The electric bike micromobility company aims to end car dependency and increase access to clean transportation, with a local presence in the Bronx and New Rochelle and particularly in Syracuse and Rochester, where it has seen significant growth. Keating previously worked at Getaround, the New York City Department of Transportation and the Penn Institute for Urban Research.
67. Scott Thornton
Hornblower, the company that operates New York City’s ferry system, filed for bankruptcy this year – but the city’s ferry system is a top performer in the company’s portfolio and company officials say the system is not at risk. The oft-scrutinized ferry system reported record ridership for the start of 2024, with 1.08 million people taking to boats in the first quarter, and a record 6.8 million seafaring New Yorkers last year. City officials have unveiled a plan to sell naming rights to the ferry boats.
68. Matthew Daus & Sanjay Mody
Matthew Daus and Sanjay Mody are masters of transportation and infrastructure policy in New York and use that knowledge to benefit Windels Marx clients. Daus, a former chair of the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission, is a top transportation attorney and a thought leader, driving forward the conversation through research and his daily email blasts and newsletters. Daus serves as the president of the International Association of Transportation Regulators. Mody, a former senior adviser to the chair of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, brings significant expertise on a number of major transportation and infrastructure projects to his work. Mody has worked on issues related to the development of the region’s airports, maritime transportation systems and development of the World Trade Center.
69. Larry Pappas
Long Island-based Forte Construction has taken on notable transportation construction projects across the downstate region. This includes design-build services for a Long Island Rail Road project to renovate and upgrade stations in Hollis, Forest Hills and Babylon; repairing the Lexington Avenue mezzanine and replacing escalators to the No. 7 train subway at Grand Central; elevator construction at the Columbus Circle subway station; and renovating the Amtrak entrance at Penn Station. Larry Pappas, a trained civil engineer, co-founded Forte Construction in 2010 and built out a niche in subway accessibility work.
70. Tommy Smith
As president of the New York School Bus Contractors Association, Tommy Smith sits at the nexus of transportation, education and environmental policy. The association is aiding the transformation of the state’s school bus fleet to cleaner buses and backing a federal grants program to fund the transition. The industry won a victory when the Metropolitan Transportation Authority agreed to exempt yellow school buses from congestion pricing. Smith is a vice president with Suffolk Transportation Service, which won a Green Bus Summit Fleet award last year.
71. Carlo Scissura
Carlo Scissura has had nothing but praise for Gov. Kathy Hochul, but after the governor paused congestion pricing he was one of the first to criticize her, saying she was putting the future of New York City’s mass transit system at risk. Scissura said the end of congestion pricing would not allow the MTA to accomplish many of the upgrades that the program would have financed. Scissura’s relationship with New York City Mayor Eric Adams remains solid, with Adams choosing him to chair a new Charter Revision Commission.
72. Ken Stewart
In a major step forward for New York’s drone industry, the Federal Aviation Administration granted approval in December for the creation of a 240-square-mile beyond visual line of site test area in Central New York. For Ken Stewart, president and CEO of NUAIR, who previously operated the test site, this marked a major milestone in the growth of the industry. NUAIR has launched a Syracuse Center of Excellence at Hancock International Airport to manage the expanded test area and focus on the development of new economic and regulatory models for the industry.
73. Frank Reig
Micromobility visionary Frank Reig has gone from e-scooter rentals to electric vehicle charging and all-electric-vehicle ride-hailing – with over 2.6 million all-electric rides delivered to New Yorkers. Brooklyn-based Revel recently hired three alums of Tesla Charging to join its team and lead an expansion of charging stations across the five boroughs. Reig and Revel are in talks with investors as part of an effort to raise $200 million to finance a new expansion round. The expansion comes as Revel closed its electric scooter rental service last year amid a drop in ridership.
74. Alexander Young & Lyle Milliman
The Army Corps of Engineers is looking to bolster the nation’s shipping might, so the supply chain goes rolling along. The New York District, led by Col. Alexander Young, is implementing $51 million in projects to deepen access to the Ports of New York and Newark. These include a $32 million project to widen and deepen the Gravesend Anchorage, which provides anchoring space between the Atlantic Ocean and the port for large ships. Young is leading a $19 million project with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to study deepening port shipping channels from 50 feet to 55 feet. In the Buffalo District, Army engineers maintain the Great Lakes Navigation System shipping channels and operate the Black Rock Lock in Buffalo, where container ships navigate the turbulent waters of the Upper Niagara River. The district will lead a planned dredging of the Port of Oswego, which will allow for larger ships to access the Great Lakes port. Lt. Col. Lyle Milliman commands the Buffalo District pending the July arrival of new commander, Lt. Col. Robert Burnham.
75. Charles Callari
Charles Callari’s efforts at the transportation technology company Verra Mobility are popular with road safety advocates. As the company’s New York City point person, Callari oversees work related to the city’s network of red-light, school zone and bus lane cameras. Verra has expanded into being a workforce development leader, launching a partnership this year with Renaissance Technical Institute in Harlem to offer free training programs to residents that lead to jobs in Verra’s new operations center in the city.
76. Dani Simons
Train manufacturer Alstom has operations in 64 countries – and key outposts in New York, where it’s building high-speed trains and subway cars. The French company’s Hornell plant is building the next generation of high-speed trains in the U.S., and it also has a facility in Plattsburgh. A key player for the New York team is Dani Simons, who was assistant to the U.S. transportation secretary and director of public affairs for the federal agency before joining Alstom last year. She decried the pause on congestion pricing and the uncertainty it creates for the manufacturing industry.
77. Kenneth Podziba
A longtime transportation and sports policy leader, Kenneth Podziba is now venturing into the worlds of workforce development and prison reentry. Podziba’s Bike New York has created a new venture, called Bike Path, to train the formerly incarcerated in bicycle repair as a pathway to jobs at the bike rental company. For Bike New York’s signature program, the annual Five Boro Bike Tour, Podziba has been focused on inclusion and diversifying the tour’s biker pool. He said any effort by the MTA to increase costs to use the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge on the tour would hinder the event.
78. Keith Todd Kerman
As the chief fleet officer for New York City government, Keith Todd Kerman is charged with reducing greenhouse gas emissions by half from the city’s 30,000-vehicle fleet, which already includes 20,000 vehicles powered by alternative fuels. Kerman is also charged with improving vehicle safety performance by city-owned vehicles. Kerman was a longtime city Department of Parks and Recreation executive before becoming chief fleet officer, and he has worked on the Vision Zero initiative to eliminate traffic fatalities.
79. Kaan Özbay
As founding director of C2SMARTER, a federally designated Tier 1 University Transportation Center, Kaan Özbay leads a seven-university consortium geared toward using cities as test grounds for congestion mitigation efforts. As a member of an expert panel on the future of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, he helped develop truck weight rules for the roadway. C2SMARTER is also working with the New York City Fire Department on emergency vehicle response time and Port Authority officials to develop a congestion management plan for John F. Kennedy International Airport during the airport’s renovation.
80. John Markowitz
A self-proclaimed “energy nerd,” John Markowitz is looking for new ways to make it easier for New Yorkers to drive electric vehicles. At the New York Power Authority, Markowitz is in charge of developing the energy agency’s capabilities and networks for charging electric vehicles, including faster charging stations, a key goal of the state’s clean energy transition. Markowitz is not just a New York state clean energy official, but also an electric vehicle owner himself.
81. Quemuel Arroyo
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s first chief accessibility officer, Quemuel Arroyo has been working to make the mass transit system more accessible for people with disabilities. Arroyo, who also serves as a senior adviser to the MTA’s chair and CEO, has argued that congestion pricing would allow the MTA to implement a broad accessibility agenda for the system. Prior to joining the public transportation agency in 2021, Arroyo was interim president at Change, an e-scooter charging and docking company, and chief accessibility specialist at the New York City Department of Transportation.
82. Paul Monte
A top-tier construction law attorney, Paul Monte is someone to know before you start any large-scale infrastructure project in New York. The co-managing partner of Peckar & Abramson’s New York office, Monte brings deep experience in working on large- and small-scale public-private partnership projects to his clients. He has worked with clients on a number of major infrastructure projects, including the Second Avenue subway, the reconstruction of LaGuardia Airport, the replacement of the Tappan Zee Bridge and LIRR’s third track project.
83. Ken Lovett
A former Albany bureau chief for the Daily News and a onetime Metropolitan Transportation Authority senior adviser, Ken Lovett knows exactly how New York works and he brings a deep understanding of transportation policy. Lovett now brings that expertise to Ichor Strategies, where he is an advocate on transportation issues. He has authored op-eds on preventing freight train derailments, community involvement in congestion pricing policy, federal infrastructure investments and infrastructure equity.
84. Mary Staropoli
Mary Staropoli has endeavored to keep Rochesterians on the move across the region. The head of Reconnect Rochester played a role in getting officials in the upstate city and Monroe County to adopt active transportation plans that account for pedestrians, cyclists and public transportation users. Reconnect Rochester helped secure $18 million from the state for a new intercity bus terminal and new state funding for upstate bus systems. Staropoli also helped make Rochester the first upstate community to adopt a Vision Zero plan to reduce pedestrian and cyclist deaths.
85. Jeffrey Smith
Jeffrey Smith and his fellow county transportation superintendents know that local roads matter. The president of the New York State County Highway Superintendents Association pushed state lawmakers to increase local transportation funding in the budget, saying it is needed to keep roads and bridges running. County highway departments maintain 20,000 miles of roads and 9,000 bridges statewide. Smith is the Tompkins County highway director and a former highway superintendent in Franklin County and Department of Public Works supervisor in the Franklin County village of Malone.
86. Greg Hallberg
With 933 towns across the state, town roads represent 65% of the state roadways. These 57,365 miles of roads and over 3,000 bridges are maintained by elected town highway superintendents, who are pushing an Albany agenda of bringing state investment to local government transportation systems. Ellery Highway Department Superintendent Greg Hallberg is president of the association. In Ellery, a rural community outside of Jamestown, Hallberg has praised state transportation officials for environmental protection efforts as part of reconstruction of Veterans Memorial Bridge over Chautauqua Lake.
87. Matthew Walsh
Matthew Walsh brings his experience in New York government and transportation policy to his role leading state policy and government affairs for autonomous vehicle company Waymo. A former chief of staff in the commissioner’s correspondence unit at the New York City Department of Transportation and an ex-state legislative staffer, Walsh joined Waymo a year ago. This year, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced he would allow for autonomous taxis – a key Waymo initiative – but only with safety backup drivers in place.
88. Henry Greenidge
From New York City Hall to the corridors of power in Washington, D.C., Henry Greenidge understands the ins and outs of transportation policy and how to drive real change in government. Greenidge now handles public policy and government affairs in the region for Cruise, the much buzzed about autonomous vehicle company. Greenidge has served as a policy adviser in the U.S. transportation secretary’s office during the Obama administration and a veteran aide in the New York City mayor’s office.
89. Christopher Schuyler
Christopher Schuyler aims to ensure that New Yorkers with disabilities enjoy transportation equity. Among the key transportation justice issues that New York Lawyers for the Public Interest have worked on is making sure that ride-hailing vehicles are wheelchair accessible. Schuyler spearheading a case this year to expand certain fare discounts, currently only available to subway and bus riders, to the Access-A-Ride program to ensure people with disabilities have the same access as other mass transit riders.
90. Charles Komanoff
The nation’s foremost advocate for congestion pricing, Charles Komanoff helped lay the groundwork for the plan in Manhattan and was so close to seeing it come to life. Now, Komanoff is pushing Gov. Kathy Hochul to reverse her decision to indefinitely delay the implementation of congestion pricing, offering counterpoints to Hochul’s reasoning and noting that mass transit badly needs the funding support. Outside of congestion pricing, Komanoff supports legislation to impose a $400 noise tax on nonessential helicopter flights in New York City.
91. Latoya Edwards
Latoya Edwards is focused on ensuring that the technology solutions and services company Conduent Transportation is employing diversity, equity and inclusion principles in the transportation realm, in particular through its work with local government clients. A recent example of this is Conduent’s work with the Bay Area Toll Authority in California to implement toll relief programs that benefit low-income individuals and families.
92. Nathan King
One hurdle for potential electric vehicle buyers is the availability of charging stations. Nathan King founded it’s electric to address these concerns and expand access to charging stations. The company’s model is to work with property owners to set up public charging stations in front of their properties and then use excess power capacity from the building to power the charging station to allow electric car owners to power up curbside. The company operates in Brooklyn and Detroit and shares revenue with property owners to offset 80% of power bills.
93. Scott Townsend
Imagine there’s no barriers keeping Albany residents from the waterfront. It isn’t hard to do. Some say Scott Townsend is a dreamer, but he’s not the only one – he has gotten others to join him in seeking to remove the I-787 barrier blocking the Albany waterfront. The Albany Riverfront Collaborative has been awarded $400,000 in federal funds to develop a proposal, and state transportation officials have a $5 million study in place. Townsend has been in talks with Rensselaer officials about synergies between Rensselaer’s waterfront amenities and plans for Albany.
94. Mark Heefner
New York City’s airports have been at the forefront of many of the state’s transportation discussions, and the New York Aviation Management Association keeps smaller airports on the radar. Broome County Aviation Commissioner Mark Heefner serves as NYAMA president and has made recruitment and retention of airport employees a top issue. Heefner wants an exemption to civil service laws for Syracuse Hancock International Airport expanded to all airports, saying current civil service classifications hinder hiring at airports upstate.
95. Joseph Rappaport
A leading advocate for New York City’s disabled population, Joseph Rappaport has also been a proponent of congestion pricing in the city, noting that the now-stalled plan would have benefited the disabled population. Rappaport said congestion pricing would have provided the Metropolitan Transportation Authority with the necessary funds to invest in improved accessibility at subway stations. Rappaport has called out city taxi regulators for missing benchmarks for having half of the city’s taxi fleet be wheelchair-accessible.
96. Robert Wiesenthal
Robert Wiesenthal has transformed how some New Yorkers get to the airport. Instead of idling in traffic, they can soar above it all in a helicopter. In response to concerns, Blade Urban Air Mobility supporters note the company is considering electric aviation options to reduce pollution and noise. Blade has expanded with airport service on the Jersey City waterfront and announced a partnership with Emirates Airlines to offer helicopter service between France’s Nice Côte d’Azur Airport and Monaco to streamline travel between Dubai and the principality.
97. Justin Booth
Justin Booth says a redesign of the Scajaquada Expressway in Buffalo will reduce car traffic, improve the environment and increase pedestrian access to the waterfront. Booth and the Scajaquada Corridor Coalition are advocating for the redesign of the highway, which connects I-190 to the Kensington Expressway, to become a two-lane at-grade street with no highway connection. Booth says the plan will reduce pollution in Scajaquada Creek and restore land to Delaware Park. Booth’s organization, GObike Buffalo, advocates for local transportation policy that takes cyclists and pedestrians into consideration.
98. Kathryn Freed
A former New York City Council member from lower Manhattan, Kathryn Freed wants to reduce congestion in New York – but says the congestion pricing plan would harm marginalized communities both environmentally and economically. Freed was behind a lawsuit calling for a full environmental impact statement to be completed to show the environmental and economic impact on New Yorkers. Freed, a retired state Supreme Court justice, also said that the since-scuttled June start was arbitrary.
99. Stephen Lyman
With a storied history spanning over 150 years, the Maritime Association of the Port of New York & New Jersey serves as a central hub for data information on harbor traffic and a key advocacy organization for the maritime industry in New York. Stephen Lyman became the association’s executive director in 2022 and has become a leading advocate for the industry in New York. Lyman is supportive of New York City’s “blue highway” initiative, which works to move more traffic to the water and off highways.
100. James Mercante
New York’s maritime industry would not operate without the pilots who help cargo and cruise ships navigate New York Harbor, Long Island Sound and the Hudson River. The Board of Commissioners of Pilots of the State of New York licenses and regulates the pilots operating in these waters. In weekly meetings at its lower Manhattan headquarters, the little-known 171-year-old state agency issues licenses, reviews annual license renewals, investigates accidents and conducts hearings. Board President James Mercante practices admiralty and marine law at Rubin, Fiorella, Friedman & Mercante.
Did we miss anyone? Let us know at lists@cityandstateny.com. And pitch us names for other upcoming power lists.
NEXT STORY: The 2024 Brooklyn Power 100