Dan Doctoroff, the former CEO of Bloomberg LP, is heading up Google’s new venture, Sidewalk Labs. The company is dedicated to improving the cost of living, energy use and transportation in America’s big cities. Sidewalk Labs promises to develop technology and platforms that city dwellers can plug into.
Sidewalk Labs is based in New York City, which is currently working on building the Second Avenue subway. When asked if it was a good idea — to dig another subway on the Upper East Side — Doctoroff said it was a “pet project” of the MTA and Sheldon Silver. “A silly little spur that doesn’t generate anything other than some convenience for people who are perfectly happy to live where they lived before,” said Doctoroff. It’s a subway “that doesn’t have any value added.” It really doesn’t matter what Doctoroff thinks about it now. The city is going through with it. Now it’s his job to add value to it.
