NYPD Taps James Tuller to Succeed Scagnelli as Transpo Chief

The New York Times reports that NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly has chosen a successor to Chief of Transportation Michael Scagnelli:

The highest rank to be filled on Friday will be chief of transportation, a three-star bureau chief position. The commissioner has tapped Assistant Chief James Tuller, who is Hispanic, to be the first minority officer to hold that position, aides to Mr. Kelly said. 

Scagnelli, who retired a month ago, will probably be most remembered by livable streets advocates as the pioneer of TrafficStat, which some — though not all — credit for helping to reduce pedestrian and cyclist fatalities. While, as we understand it, the transpo chief wields limited direct power when it comes to traffic enforcement, hopefully Tuller will build on Scagnelli’s record.