Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Cartoon

A Round and a Roundy: A Hot Take on the New DOT Commissioner

Cartoon: Bill Roundy

Editorial cartoon of Bill Roundy by editorial cartoonist Bill Roundy.
Editorial cartoon of Bill Roundy by editorial cartoonist Bill Roundy.
Editorial cartoon of Bill Roundy by editorial cartoonist Bill Roundy.

Click today's editorial cartoon by Bill Roundy with oven mitts on — it's that hot a take!

Like most of us, our national treasure penman was surprised when Mayor de Blasio chose intellectual property lawyer and loyal Democratic donor Hank Gutman to run the $1.3-billion Department of Transportation — especially given that the last three people who ran the agency (going backwards, Margaret Forgione, Polly Trottenberg and Janette Sadik-Khan) were esteemed transportation professionals.

Roundy's surprise led to this week's comic rapier thrust, but it's also a reminder of how professional the DOT has been run over the years. Yes, the agency has had some failures and it has made some decisions worthy of wider scrutiny, but Trottenberg, for example, never showed up at a hearing unprepared, never (like her NYPD counterparts) outright denied information to Councilmembers, never treated opponents as villains, and basically never dodged the press.

How will Gutman do at such times? Only time will tell.

All of Bill Roundy's cartoons are archived here.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Security Blanket: Will NYPD Smother Mamdani’s Love of Transit and Bikes?

Zohran Mamdani likes taking the train and riding a Citi Bike — but the demands of being New York City’s mayor may not be compatible with his transit habit.

November 18, 2025

Gov. Hochul Vague on Free Bus Plans As Her Open Budget Salvo Nears

Hochul has said she would neither support a plan that would deprive the MTA of a key revenue stream — fares — nor would she raise taxes to make up for the missing swipes.

November 18, 2025

Report: Traffic Injuries Increase Near Amazon Last-Mile Warehouses

Injuries are increasing near last-mile warehouses and advocates want to change the model for more accountability.

November 18, 2025

Trump Admin Seeks To Decimate Federal Transit Funding

"When you're talking about taking away money from transit, your proposal is flawed from the get-go," said one expert.

November 18, 2025

Tuesday’s Headlines: Soft Focus Edition

The DOT unveils its latest effort to get car drivers to stop killing us. Plus other news.

November 18, 2025

Delivery App Regulation Should Learn from Commercial Carting Reform

Third party delivery apps say they have no ability to police the very system they created — while the city's patchwork regulation isn't addressing the root of the problem.

November 17, 2025
See all posts