I agree - the PED LOS should not be measured just by density, it is also affected greatly by activity (it is impossible to move through the jam created by SoHo's vendors, for example).

High-quality illustrations in Ascher's book - they sure might look nice if they were implemented in real-life, don't ya think?

Having no inside information on this particular horse race, I can't help but think of the Crain's article a couple of weeks back that said all the high powered names being bandied about (including two of the above) aren't interested because they all earn more elsewhere.

The only inside information I've got is that DOT Commissioner is a pretty unappealing job for anyone actually wants to do something about mobility in NY, be paid a salary commensurate with his/her market value, or avoid being sucked into a scandal not of your making.

What do you think, oh person who sits outside Dan's door?

My only nit-picky comment is about Pedestrian Level of Service: I'm not sure the analogy to traffic LOS holds up here, since emptier sidewalks aren't necessarily better that busier ones (especially in terms of vibrancy and safety).

Of course, any focus on the pedestrian realm is welcome.