Sam Schwartz

[1] After graduating from Brooklyn Technical High School in 1965, Schwartz was educated at Brooklyn College (BS Physics) and the University of Pennsylvania (MSCE), and first worked as a New York City cabbie before being hired by the City of New York in 1971.

While employed with the city, he attempted to introduce bicycle lanes and public plazas.

[2] He earned the nickname Gridlock Sam during the 1980 transit strike when he developed a series of transportation contingency plans, called the Grid-Lock Prevention Program.

The city's bridges had not been tolled since 1911 and beginning in 1973 he worked with Mayor Lindsay to reintroduce them.

Even with a change in leadership (Mayor Lindsay was replaced by Abe Beame in 1974) it looked like the tolls would be reinstated.