Mayor Mamdani Appoints Mike Flynn
As NYC Transportation Commissioner
NEW YORK, NY —In his very first move as mayor, Zohran Mamdani announced on Jan. 1 the appointment of transportation leader Mike Flynn as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation. The action occurred immediately following the new mayor’s swearing in during a midnight ceremony in the old City Hall subway station.
Mr. Flynn brings more than two decades of experience across the public and private sectors, helping cities envision and implement transportation systems that advance economic opportunity, social equity and environmental sustainability. His appointment reflects the Mamdani administration’s focus on ambitious lofty policy goals, including fast and free buses and safer streets, with deep operational expertise, city officials stated.
Most recently, Mr. Flynn led the New York office of TYLin City Solutions (formerly Sam Schwartz Engineering) where he 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. As vice president and sector manager for New York and the Northeast, Mr. Flynn oversaw major projects at the intersection of mobility, land use and public space.
Previously, he spent nearly a decade at the New York City Department of Transportation, where he held senior leadership roles including director of Capital Planning and Project Initiation. In that role, he guided the planning and delivery of major capital street improvement projects supporting traffic safety, bus priority, and new public spaces citywide. Earlier at DOT, Mr. Flynn worked on pedestrian and bicycle programs and transportation planning initiatives that helped reshape how New Yorkers move through the city, including leading the development of the city’s first Street Design Manual.
In addition to his work in government and the private sector, Mr. Flynn served for nearly eight years as a visiting professor in Pratt Institute’s Programs for Sustainable Planning and Development, where he taught courses focused on urban planning, transportation and sustainable city design.
He holds a Master of Science in City and Regional Planning from Pratt Institute and a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science from the University of Vermont.
Published: January 6, 2026