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
Glen and Trottenberg Predict Growth for Citi Bike, Plazas, and Bike Lanes
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Two key de Blasio administration officials sounded optimistic notes today about the expansion of the bike lane network, public plazas, and bike-share. While bike infrastructure and public space projects haven’t been high-profile de Blasio priorities, Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen and Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg indicated that they intend to make progress on both fronts. Speaking at […]
Titans of Click-Bait: The Park Slope Food Co-op Meets the “War on Cars”
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In a rational world, the Park Slope Food Co-op opposing the conversion of an enormous garage into car-free mixed-use development would be as likely as Halliburton sponsoring every bike-share system in the country. We don’t live in a rational world. Everyone’s favorite symbol of eco-conscious Brooklyn (disclosure: my wife and I are card-carrying Co-op members […]
Jon Orcutt and Bruce Schaller Are Moving on From NYC DOT
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Two key architects of change at NYC DOT are moving on after seven years with the agency. DOT Traffic and Planning Commissioner Bruce Schaller departed at the end of May, and DOT Policy Director Jon Orcutt announced on Twitter yesterday that he will be leaving next week. Orcutt and Schaller were two of former DOT chief […]
Manhattan Community Board 10 Votes for Morningside Safety Plan
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Last night, Manhattan Community Board 10 approved the NYC DOT plan to add pedestrian islands and trim traffic lanes on 10 blocks of Morningside Avenue [PDF]. A concerted effort from neighborhood street safety advocates and local elected officials, including City Council Member Mark Levine and State Senator Adriano Espaillat, helped overcome recalcitrance at CB 10, […]
Calling All Streetsblog Superheroes: Sunday Is Your Last Chance to Give
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Here we are with just a couple of days left in the Streetsblog spring pledge drive, and we’re two-thirds of the way to our goal of 400 donors. Every contribution makes a difference — please give what you can and support our coverage. There’s a tremendous window of opportunity in New York right now to […]
Time Is Running Out to Become a Streetsblog Superhero — Give Today
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This is it! The final days and the final giveaway of our spring pledge drive. So far, 221 superheroes have donated to Streetsblog and Streetfilms. To reach our goal, we need 179 more readers to step up and give by Sunday at midnight. If you’ve been holding out until the end of the pledge drive […]
Streetsblog and Streetfilms Are Searching for a Development Director
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After three stellar years with Streetsblog and Streetfilms, our development director Christa Orth is embarking on a new chapter with the fundraising consultancy Wingo. Christa masterminded the creation of a fundraising system essentially from scratch, and it’s safe to say Streetsblog and Streetfilms would not be in the position we are today without her. If […]
Two Weeks to Go in Our Spring Pledge Drive — Support Streetsblog Today
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We’re rounding into the home stretch of the Streetsblog spring pledge drive. If you haven’t given yet, please make a donation today. Your support makes a world of difference. When you give to Streetsblog you’re helping to set the agenda for streets and transportation policy in NYC. Ideas that surface in Streetsblog posts have a […]
Police Seek Hit-and-Run Driver Who Ran Down Pedestrian on Sidewalk
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Via Gothamist: Early Saturday morning, a driver ran over a pedestrian on the sidewalk in Astoria inflicting serious injuries, then sped off, continuing to drive on the sidewalk. Police told Gothamist that the victim suffered a broken leg and concussion, and they’re looking for help locating the hit-and-run driver. The collision at 30th Avenue and […]
Become a Streetsblog Superhero and Support Media That Makes a Difference
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We’re about halfway through our spring pledge drive, and we need more readers to shed your mild-mannered identities, don your superhero capes, and give to Streetsblog and Streetfilms. Readers who’ve contributed to our spring campaign call Streetsblog a “trusted source of news” that produces reporting which “makes a difference” for safer streets. Every day our […]
Eyes on the Street: Sidewalks for Pedestrians at the 78th Precinct
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Props to the 78th Precinct and commanding officer Michael Ameri for this one. Reader Wayne Bailey sends photos showing that the 78th is starting to get the sidewalk parking situation under control near the precinct house. Previously this block of Sixth Avenue was occupied by officers’ personal vehicles: It might seem like a small thing, […]
De Blasio Housing Plan Meekly Suggests Parking Reform
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There’s a deep connection between parking policy and housing affordability. The more space New York devotes to car storage, the less space is available to house people. And yet, 50 year old laws mandating the construction of parking in new residential development persist in most of the city, driving up construction costs and hampering the […]