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
This Week in Livable Streets Events [Updated]
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It’s a light week on the Streetsblog calendar as we head in to the Labor Day weekend. All eyes will be on Tuesday’s main event. Today: 5:00 p.m. is the submission deadline for Transportation Alternatives’ "Biking Rules" PSA contest. Update and correction: The deadline for the Biking Rules PSA contest has been extended to September […]
Cyclist Injured in Collision on Jay Street This Morning
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A cyclist was struck this morning at around 9:30, riding on Jay Street near the Manhattan Bridge. Reader Dave Abraham emailed this report about the scene of the collision. Cyclist struck, male, probably late twenties, lying on the ground, bleeding from the mouth and face. Small gray sedan with Jersey plates was parked by the […]
Legacy of Downtown Brooklyn Traffic Calming Advocates Continues
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A bit more background on the generous neckdown at Smith and Bergen spotlighted earlier today: This pedestrian amenity never would have been built without the long-term organizing for the Downtown Brooklyn Traffic Calming Project. Street protests and advocacy campaigns stretching back more than a dozen years are bearing fruit now. And advocates are still on […]
Now That’s What I Call a Neckdown!
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Since the spring, DOT construction crews have been building out traffic calming improvements all over the neighborhoods near downtown Brooklyn. When the years-in-the-making Downtown Brooklyn Traffic Calming Project wraps up, pedestrians will have safer crossings at dozens of intersections. The sidewalk extension at the northwest corner of Smith and Bergen, shown here, is especially impressive. […]
Another View of Yesterday’s Cab Crash
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Reader Trish Naudon-Thomas sends this picture of yesterday’s cab crash in Chelsea. Information about what transpired is still hard to come by, but an AP squib notes that the collision has put one person in critical condition and two others in serious condition. It’s a miracle that even more people weren’t hurt in such a […]
Eyes on the Street: How Did This Happen?
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A reader sends this shot, taken at the corner of Seventh Avenue and 24th Street this afternoon. We’re waiting to hear back from NYPD about whether anyone was hurt. Hopefully this will be one of the lucky cases where an out-of-control cab didn’t harm anyone. And really, in the middle of Manhattan, just a short […]
Thompson, Avella Pledge to Dump Sadik-Khan If Elected
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Tony Avella and Bill Thompson. Photo: Daily News. I didn’t get to watch last night’s Democratic mayoral debate between Bill Thompson and Tony Avella, so I missed the high drama that ensued when the candidates were asked if they’ll retain Janette Sadik-Khan as transportation commissioner. Good thing Brian Lehrer played excerpts on his show this […]
Highlights From TA’s District 25 Candidate Debate
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Helen Sears, Stanley Kalathara, and Daniel Dromm. At the Transportation Alternatives City Council candidate debate last night, the three Democrats competing in District 25 sat down to tackle concerns about traffic, public space, and street safety. An overflow crowd of about 50 people packed the second floor office of the Queens Diversity Center to see […]
What’s Happening to the Manhattan Bridge Bike Path at Canal Street?
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Cyclists who’ve crossed the Manhattan Bridge this summer should be familiar with this sight. It’s the construction project at the foot of the bike path on the Manhattan side. This is the view from Canal and Chrystie. We’ve been trying to find out exactly what’s going on here, but so far the answers from DOT […]
Report: Cops Can Measure Traffic Violations, If They Try
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Transportation Alternatives documented failure-to-yield violations at the rate of 24 per hour, per intersection. Photo: TA Lawless driving in New York City is about as ubiquitous as scaffolding, pigeons, and Duane Reade put together. You just can’t escape the constant background presence of motorist misbehavior: Ask New Yorkers what concerns them the most, and traffic […]
Sneak Preview: Tuesday Night’s District 25 Candidate Debate
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Tomorrow night, Transportation Alternatives will host the second of its three City Council candidate forums, this one for the District 25 race in Queens. Encompassing parts of Jackson Heights, Elmhurst, and Corona, it’s an intriguing district. Both Queens Boulevard, still one of the city’s most dangerous streets, and Northern Boulevard, another heavily trafficked feeder to […]
Gerson on Grand Street Safety: Never Mind the Facts
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City Council member Alan Gerson didn’t have much new to say at his sidewalk protest of the Grand Street bike lane. But a handful of reporters and a few cyclists pressed him to defend the idea that projects designed to improve street safety should be subject to greater City Council review. Gerson’s assertion of "dangerous […]