NEW YORK, NY September 01, 2008 —Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan has attracted more than just attention since joining Mayor Michael Bloomberg's cabinet last May. She's also pulled in lots of private money.

Congestion pricing didn't work out, but Sadik-Khan has implemented numerous smaller innovations that transportation advocates had been pushing for years.

Public disclosure forms show that the same philanthropists behind those groups have donated between one and two million dollars since she came into office.

Laura Hansen of the J.M. Kaplan Fund says that last December the foundation gave $300,000, some of which helped create the pedestrian plazas at Times Square and Madison Square Park.

HANSEN: We start to hear a lot of excitement a lot of sort of anticipation about the new commissioner, what she will be able to do.

REPORTER: The donations represent just a small portion of the DOT's budget, but they came more quickly than if Sadik-Khan had relied on city funds.

For WNYC, I'm Matthew Schuerman.