From taking the trans fat out of New Yorkers’ clogged arteries to making the city greener and cleaner – not to mention his dancing around a possible run for higher office – Michael Bloomberg has proven that he might just be the world’s most ambitious mayor.
And the globe-trotting billionaire is not shy about his agenda: to make lasting, gargantuan changes to New York City.
With the honed business tactics of a successful financial mogul, Bloomberg initially tackled big New York City problems, such as reconfiguring the education system, revamping the city’s economy after 9/11 and using rezoning to spark development.
In his second term, he has put his sweeping vision for the city’s future, PlaNYC, front and center. He has made the environment and overhauling how New Yorkers commute among his 2007 crusades. The optimistic 127-initiative PlaNYC includes planting a million new trees, reducing vehicular traffic and making bus service faster.
“Every agency wants to brag that it did better under the mayor, but the Parks Department is undergoing its biggest expansion and redevelopment since La Guardia,” said Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe. “We have $2.7 billion in our capital budget and $370 million in our operating budget. The parks system has never had a better leader than Mayor Bloomberg.”
Bloomberg has also taken his blossoming environmental boosterism around the world. His message? That mayors can and should take action on problems big and small.
kboniello@nypost.com