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
Why NYC Needs Busways and Traffic Reduction, in Two Pictures
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Here’s a look at Roosevelt Avenue and 82nd Street in Jackson Heights earlier this afternoon. Streetfilms’ Clarence Eckerson says the line to get onto these buses snaked twice as long as what you can see in the frame. Buses were already rolling up full and proceeded to crawl along Roosevelt, in traffic, at walking speed. […]
Cuomo: “Bus Bridge” Linking Manhattan and Brooklyn Coming Soon
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A few quick takeaways from Governor Cuomo’s recently-concluded press conference on the recovery from Sandy: There will be very limited subway service restorations tomorrow today tomorrow morning, on 14 of the MTA’s 23 lines. Nothing below 34th Street. That’s as specific as he got. Of the seven flooded subway tunnels under the East River, three […]
Scenes From a Commute Without Subways
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With the NYC subway system knocked out indefinitely and service suspended on the LIRR, Metro-North, NJ Transit, and PATH systems, New Yorkers are gamely heading back to work today. MTA bus routes have resumed service, but across the board, their status is “Delayed.” Early reports indicate that traffic is a disaster. It looks like HOV restrictions, […]
Sandy Aftermath: Where Would You Reserve More Space for Buses and Bikes?
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As the flood waters recede from New York City, it looks like the effects of Hurricane Sandy are going to linger in the city’s subway tunnels. MTA Chair Joe Lhota has called the storm the most devastating disaster to strike the subway system in its 108-year history. All seven subway tunnels under the East River […]
Tomorrow: See You at the Streetsblog and Streetfilms Annual Benefit
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If you’re looking to start the weekend with a great group of people who, like you, dream of a more livable city and are working to make it happen, this one is for you. Tomorrow evening at WNYC’s The Greene Space, you can meet your fellow Streetsblog readers and Streetfilms viewers at our annual benefit, […]
NACTO Previews a Progressive Design Guide for City Streets
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One of the interesting developments to come out of the National Association of City Transportation Officials “Designing Cities” conference (currently in its second day) was the announcement of a wide-ranging new design guide to be released next year. NACTO’s “Urban Streets Design Guide” will show how streets of every size can be re-oriented to prioritize […]
DOT: Local Retail Thrives After Projects Improved Transit, Biking, Walking
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Leading transportation policy decision makers from around the country are gathered at NYU today for the National Association of City Transportation Officials’ “Designing Cities” conference. It’s an exciting moment for livable streets and sustainable transportation, with the people who are implementing a new generation of complete streets, surface transit improvements, public spaces, and parking policies […]
Join Us for the Streetsblog and Streetfilms Benefit Next Friday
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The Streetsblog and Streetfilms annual benefit is fast approaching, and if you don’t have a ticket yet, now’s the time to snag one. We’ll be honoring one of NYC’s true livable streets champions, City Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito, at WNYC’s The Greene Space. The Streetfilms crew has helpfully condensed the evening’s agenda into this short […]
Beware the Dread “Parking Lot for Bikes”
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Looks like Queens Community Board 1 has some competition when it comes to irrational opposition to on-street bike parking. DNAinfo reports that a proposed bike corral at Wyckoff Avenue and Starr Street in Bushwick has some detractors at Brooklyn Community Board 4. “The transportation will be disrupted…and anyone hit by a car or bike coming […]
Eyes on the Street: Green Lane Sighting on Second Avenue at 122nd Street
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Streetfilms’ Elizabeth Press was uptown today working on a piece about East Harlem’s long-awaited protected bike lanes. She passes along this view of the almost-rideable green lane on Second Avenue. Waiting for paint to dry has never been so thrilling.
Planning Commission OKs Paltry Parking Reform for Downtown Brooklyn
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The New York City Department of City Planning announced yesterday that the City Planning Commission has approved a measure to reduce Downtown Brooklyn’s onerous parking minimums. But the commission, chaired by Amanda Burden, appears to have wasted an opportunity to improve on the timid reforms. The good news is that new developments in Downtown Brooklyn, […]
What Went Unsaid at Last Night’s Debate
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At last night’s presidential debate in Nassau County, the best opening for Barack Obama and Mitt Romney to talk about transportation policy came when undecided voter Phillip Tricolla asked the following question of the President: QUESTION: Your energy secretary, Steven Chu, has now been on record three times stating it’s not policy of his department […]