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
Don’t Negotiate With the West Village L Train Shutdown NIMBYs
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Ruthlessly do the right thing.
Cuomo’s Budget Doesn’t Solve Any of New York’s Transit and Traffic Problems
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The "solutions" in the budget are half-measures that won't work, and there's no reason for the pressure on Cuomo to dissipate.
Too Many NYC Reps Did Nothing About the Most Important Transport Initiative in Albany This Year
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Don't let Cuomo's lack of effort on congestion pricing overshadow the dismally passive performance of NYC's state representatives.
While Cuomo Sits on the Sidelines, the Assembly’s Joke of a Congestion Pricing Plan Fills the Vacuum
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Carl Heastie's Democratic conference has a plan designed to relieve elected officials from sweating out a tough decision.
It’s Way Too Tough to Make Basic Street Safety Fixes in New York — So Let’s Make It Easier
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Norms have hardened around the idea that basic street safety changes should be subject to an inscrutable public process full of veto points. We have to change those norms.
Street Cheats: 13th Precinct Parks All Over Second Ave Bus Lane
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In the competition to immiserate the greatest number of bus-riding New Yorkers with city-issued parking placards, the 13th Precinct on the East Side of Manhattan gives the cops and court officers of downtown Brooklyn a run for their money.
Beyond the MetroCard: Faster Buses, Better Rail Access, Fairer Fares
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Changing the way we pay for transit is about much more than carrying around a new type of farecard.
Do the Math: De Blasio’s ‘Placard Crackdown’ Is Meaningless
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Even with a few more fines, placard abuse pays.
NYC’s Still Waiting for a Traffic Reduction Plan From Andrew Cuomo
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Cuomo's team seems to be serious about congestion pricing, but every time there’s a chance to commit to a concrete policy, they don’t.
Whose Streets? Eric Duke’s Streets
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"Maybe I just won't pay our property taxes if my street is taken away from me," the TV production studio owner said of the city's plan to dedicate a seven-foot strip of public street space to bicycling.
Will Any of New York’s Government Watchdogs Lift a Finger to Control MTA Construction Costs?
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Despite the incalculable value of the NYC transit system to the welfare of the city and state, no one in government is racing to solve the MTA's cost problem.
TransAlt: L Train Shutdown Plan Needs Round-the-Clock Bus Lanes
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The bus lanes DOT plans to implement while the western portion of the L train is out of commission should be in effect all day, every day, Transportation Alternatives says in a new report.