Ben Fried started as a Streetsblog reporter in 2008 and led the site as editor-in-chief from 2010 to 2018. He lives in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn, with his wife.
Ben Fried
Recent Posts
$266 Million to Widen the Deegan. Crumbs for a More Livable Bronx River.
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More lanes, or more housing and parks? Image of proposed Deegan Expressway widening: NYSDOT. Image of the community plan for a de-commissioned Sheridan Expressway: SBRWA. Last week we reported on the state DOT’s expensive plan to widen part of the Major Deegan Expressway in the southwest Bronx, even as the agency fails to maintain upstate […]
World-Class Avenues for the East Side: What Great BRT Looks Like
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BRT + bike: East Side avenues have enough space for physically separated busways and protected bike lanes. The biggest sustainable transportation story in New York right now is how DOT and the MTA plan to design Bus Rapid Transit corridors for the East Side of Manhattan. Will we get world-class avenues that attract more riders […]
The Case for a Car-Free Halloween
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So, I hope you’ll forgive me for posting these Halloween pictures halfway through November. I took them on Fifth Avenue at the south end of Park Slope, and I’ve been meaning to share them since election week. Usually on Halloween I’m cooped up in an office until dark, but since it fell on a Saturday […]
First Post-Election Business for City Council: Making Traffic Worse
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Looks like the City Council is ready to assert itself in the wake of Michael Bloomberg’s underwhelming re-election to a third term. They’ve chosen to draw a line in the sand, apparently, by creating more congestion on New York City’s streets. To signal their displeasure with law enforcement, Council members David Weprin, Simcha Felder, and […]
Status Report: DOT Considering Bike Facilities in East Side BRT Plan
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A quick update on the status of bike infrastructure in the city’s plans for the East Side. We asked DOT whether the agency is considering protected bike facilities as part of the Bus Rapid Transit corridor planned for First and Second avenues. The press office says: We have been considering ways to incorporate bike facilities […]
Bus Rapid Transit Designs for East Side Avenues Still in Flux
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Earlier this week DOT and the MTA showed plans for Bus Rapid Transit on the east side of Manhattan to the Seaport/Civic Center committee of Community Board 1. With implementation scheduled for next September, the question of how to allot space on First and Second Avenues is increasingly urgent. Robust bus improvements paired with protected […]
State DOT’s Misplaced Priorities: Widening Highways While Bridges Crumble
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Earlier this week we asked why the state Department of Transportation still thinks it’s a good idea to widen highways in the middle of dense urban neighborhoods. The agency met with stiff resistance Monday when it presented plans for bigger ramps and more lanes where the Major Deegan Expressway passes through a redeveloping neighborhood in […]
A Safer Carmine Street? Break Out the Pitchforks!
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Plans for a protected bike path on a short stretch of Carmine Street are in jeopardy following a public hearing held by Manhattan Community Board 2’s transportation committee last night. The proposal enjoys unanimous support from committee members and has already won approval from both the full CB and the local block association. But the […]
Concrete Truck Plows Into Canal Street Sidewalk, Injuring Eight
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Photo: Matt Hogan. Eight people were injured this afternoon after a concrete truck careened into the sidewalk on the one-block diagonal linking Canal Street to the Bowery. Vehicles exiting the Manhattan Bridge have turned this block, often teeming with people waiting for the Fung Wah Bus, into a constant danger zone. Here’s what an employee […]
Eyes on the Street: You Don’t Belong in the Bike Lane, Sir
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A reader sends this photo of a huge rig using Kent Avenue’s new protected bike path as its own, highly illegal shortcut. Our tipster says the trucker was bearing down on him at a rapid clip for several blocks before slowing down enough to hear an inquiry through the window: "What do you think you’re […]
State DOT Channels Spirit of Robert Moses in Major Deegan Expansion Plan
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These are enlightened times for New York City’s local streets. The city is building sidewalk extensions, protected bike lanes, and better busways. But at the state DOT — the agency that controls the vast majority of New York’s federal transportation funding — much of the playbook still comes straight from the Robert Moses era. At […]
Count on It: NYC Bike Commuting Climbs 26 Percent
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The screenline count has risen dramatically since 2007. Graphic: NYCDOT (PDF) Here’s one indicator that’s looking pretty recession-proof: New York City bike commuting shot up 26 percent in 2009, according to data released today by the Department of Transportation. The increase marks the second straight year of robust cycling growth in the city. Last year […]