Pete Davidson Has One Blunt Request for NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani

By Andrew Powell (/journals/andrew-powell)

Pete Davidson had a straightforward request for New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani during an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" — fix the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. According to Fox News, the 32-year-old comedian appeared on the show Monday night before Mamdani, 34, was scheduled to take the stage. Host Jimmy Kimmel pointed out that Davidson had lived in New York City his entire life and asked whether he had a question for the new mayor. "Yes, could he fix the f---ing BQE, please?" Davidson replied, drawing a loud reaction from the studio audience. The Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, commonly known as the BQE, is a major roadway connecting Brooklyn and Queens. Davidson said his frustration comes from seeing construction around the highway for years without, in his view, much visible progress. "The BQE has been under construction since before I was born," Davidson said. He joked about seeing cones and workers standing around instead of completed work. Kimmel told Davidson he would bring up the issue when Mamdani appeared on the program. During Mamdani's appearance, Kimmel followed through and told the mayor that Davidson wanted to know what was happening with the BQE. Mamdani responded by pointing to the city's plan to rehabilitate the portion of the highway under municipal control. The city announced in August that it plans to spend approximately $4 billion on a 10-year rehabilitation of BQE Central, with construction expected to begin in 2030. The project covers the section between Atlantic Avenue and Sands Street, including the aging triple cantilever. City officials say the structure is more than 20 years beyond its original design life and carries about 130,000 vehicles each day. Mamdani said the plan is designed to keep the highway operating during construction while avoiding major traffic diversions into nearby neighborhoods. Kimmel joked that the project could take so long that Davidson's daughter might eventually be the one complaining about the BQE. The exchange aired as part of the Sept. 28 episode of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!," which featured both Davidson and Mamdani as guests. ABC's official listing also highlighted fixing the BQE as one of the topics discussed with the mayor. The city's current schedule calls for construction to begin around 2029 or 2030, with completion expected around 2040. The project is intended to extend the life of the city-owned section for decades while keeping the highway open during the work. For Davidson, the appearance turned a long-running complaint about one of New York's busiest roadways into an on-air question for the city's mayor — and Mamdani had an answer ready. Watch the video below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWd48Rt-k_4