A champion for safe streets and public transit throughout his career, Brad’s public record of developing and implementing smart, effective and creative transportation policy solutions is unparalleled among New York City elected officials over the last two decades.

As a City Council Member, Brad passed a bill requiring a citywide plan for Bus Rapid Transit, and has won extensive transit improvements in his district, including bus lanes, bus arrival time clocks and improvements to the B61 route. During the Summer of Hell in 2017, Brad launched a participatory study of signal failures, the number one cause of subway delays, and collected data to demonstrate the need to modernize the signal system. Brad was also an early supporter of the Fair Fares program, recognizing that access to public transit is an essential tool for economic opportunity. Brad has long been a vocal advocate for subway accessibility, and fought together with local families and organizations to win a multi-year campaign for an elevator at the 7th Avenue F/G station.

As other elected officials cowered in fear on the sidelines, Brad stood tall as champion for congestion pricing from the very beginning. For over a decade, he made the case that congestion pricing would reduce traffic gridlock while generating essential funding for public transit. When Governor Hochul attempted to “pause” congestion pricing last summer, Brad convened a coalition of legal experts who successfully secured the program’s implementation before Trump could take office. Now, Brad’s fearless leadership on behalf of good transportation policy is paying off. Thanks to congestion pricing, traffic is down 12%, travel speeds are up by as much as 30% through bridges and tunnels, there are 13% fewer traffic crashes per day, and the MTA has raised $159 million since January 2025.

Recognizing the intersection of homelessness, mental health, and public transportation, Brad has developed a "housing first" strategy aimed at providing supportive housing and essential services to individuals experiencing homelessness, particularly those with severe mental illness, thereby improving subway safety and overall public health.

Brad has a long and consistent record in favor of turning public streets dominated by cars into safe public spaces for pedestrians and cyclists, and has been one of the most steadfast supporters of a bike-friendly New York.  Brad helped launch the city’s public plaza program in 2007, supported the pedestrianization of Times Square, and fought to provide funding and support to expand the program to low-income communities (including Kensington’s Avenue C Plaza). He was an early supporter of the Open Streets program and successfully advocated for the School Streets program, to close streets to traffic and create spaces for learning and play. Under Brad’s leadership, the Comptroller’s Office worked with dozens of community groups and public realm experts to produce a report outlining the challenges and needs facing the Open Streets program—at a moment when the Adams administration is threatening to cut it.

As a City Council Member in the early 2010s, Brad successfully fought powerful interests to ensure that the construction of the Prospect Park West bike lane went forward. When wealthy and politically connected opponents brought in a major litigation firm to sue the city and remove the two-way protected bike path, Brad’s steadfast leadership and data-based policy-making approach ensured that construction of the popular and necessary bike lane went forward. Brad was also an early supporter and founding member of the Citi Bike program in 2013 and remains a regular rider. As Comptroller, he released a groundbreaking report examining Citi Bike’s performance and called for greater investment in equitable service.

In 2014, Brad invited Amy Cohen, the parent of a child killed by a speeding driver to testify in the City Council, which helped to spark the campaign that reduced the speed limit in New York City. Following a devastating crash outside Brad’s City Council district office that killed two small children, he tirelessly spearheaded the passage of the Reckless Driver Accountability Act and secured implementation of the protected bike lane on 9th Street. Brad consistently advocated for safety and bike-friendly changes to Brooklyn’s 4th Avenue, ultimately creating Brooklyn’s longest protected bike lane corridor. Brad’s intervention in 2021 led to design changes that produced a wider two-way bike lane on Parkside Avenue where it approaches Park Circle. Brad has been a long-time supporter of the Brooklyn Greenway Initiative’s work to connect the greenway through Red Hook, Gowanus and Sunset Park.

In November 2024, Brad introduced a comprehensive plan to address the problems caused by the explosion of mopeds and e-bikes in New York City, especially by commercial delivery apps. As a Council Member, Brad led the effort to secure a minimum wage for delivery workers and his approach to regulating micromobility continues to prioritize street safety and worker protections. Brad’s plan emphasizes eliminating unsafe and illegal vehicles, establishing a City-administered licensing program for app-based delivery companies, and enhancing accountability for traffic violations through fair, predictable enforcement. Seeking to fill a policy void left by the Adams administration, Brad’s initiative aims to balance the benefits of micromobility with the safety and comfort of all street users.

Throughout his time as New York City Comptroller, Brad has released hard-hitting audits and reports that have had a real impact, covering every major transportation topic affecting New York City. He leveraged the office to divest the City’s pension funds from fossil fuels, hold the Adams administration accountable, and advocate for major policy initiatives, including congestion pricing and rescuing the MTA from the brink of a financial cliff after the pandemic. A major audit of the NYC Ferry system uncovered $224 million in underreported costs. A 2024 audit raised the alarm on the growing use of ghost plates, documenting how fraudulent and obscured license plates undermine the City’s otherwise successful speed camera program.

Under Brad’s leadership, the Comptroller’s Office also worked with transportation, workers’ rights, and disability justice advocates to conduct original research and shed light on federal infrastructure funding in New York, Citi Bike performance, express bus accessibility, bus performance in New York City, and the Open Streets program. Brad’s partnerships, deep knowledge of policy issues impacting New Yorkers, and commitment to safety, accountability, and bold leadership will define his tenure at City Hall.