November 10, 2010 The Honorable Antonio Villaraigosa Mayor, City of Los Angeles City of Los Angeles 200 North Spring Street, Suite 300 Los Angeles, CA 90012 RE: Appointment of next General Manager Dear Mayor Villaraigosa: Thank you for your leadership on transportation and clean air issues. This past year has been an especially inspiring time as large programs such as the push for the 30/10 proposal and CicLAvia have dominated the headlines and inspired Angelenos to think about their transportation options in a new way. For this reason, now is the perfect time for the City of Los Angeles to truly commit to a clean transportation future. The resignation of Los Angeles Department of Transportation General Manager Rita Robinson creates the opportunity for new leadership to lead to a true culture change away from the traditional car culture that has dominated our city’s transportation priorities. For that reason, we urge you to conduct an international search for the new leader of the LADOT. Now is the time to think broader than promoting from within without examining what other options might exist. America’s other signature cities are embracing transit and people-powered transportation. In 2007, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg was considered non-responsive by members of the green transportation community; but he changed the destiny of his city and his administration by bringing in Janette Sadik-Khan to transform NYCDOT. Now Bloomberg and Sadik-Khan are leading a clean transportation revolution. To see a similar change happen here, a new general manager should embrace the idea that streets are for people and communities and should not become barriers separating communities. The idea that streets are for funneling as many cars through a community as quickly as possible is wildly outdated. For LADOT to lead us into a new day, it’s going to need a new vision. You have shown leadership and made tough choices to help make Los Angeles a more sustainable city. However, there is no time like the present to make another change that will make Los Angeles a leader, not a follower, in creating a truly livable city for all residents and visitors. Sincerely,