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
Brooklyn Greenway Milestone: City Announces Full Implementation Plan
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The Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway started out as a glimmer in the eyes of a few dedicated volunteers 14 years ago. Now it’s a comprehensive city plan to build out a ribbon of parkland from Greenpoint to Sunset Park. At the Brooklyn Greenway Initiative’s annual benefit yesterday, DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan announced the release of an […]
Envisioning a Neighborhood Bike Plan for East New York and Brownsville
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After local residents and community organizations began organizing to bring bike lanes to East New York and Brownsville last year, NYC DOT is developing a plan to stripe the first bike routes directly through these neighborhoods, and more could be on the way. The process underway in eastern Brooklyn offers an intriguing glimpse at how […]
The Prospect Park Bike-Ped Expansion Is Complete
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Late last week the Prospect Park Alliance sent out an email blast announcing that NYC DOT has finished altering the park loop to give more space to pedestrians and cyclists during the hours when cars are allowed in the park. The new configuration — which slims the motor vehicle right-of-way from two lanes to one […]
New Data Debunks “Bike Bedlam” Sensationalism
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New data is online about the extent of bike-on-ped crashes in New York City, and it adds some much-needed perspective to the public discourse about the “safety crisis” on city streets. According to reports collected by NYPD and compiled online by NYC DOT [PDF], police responded to 27 bike-ped collisions citywide in the last three […]
My MSNBC Biking Story: Chris Hayes
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Here’s an intriguing promo from the cable news network that’s ahead of the pack when it comes to livable streets. MSNBC host Chris Hayes is pitching his show with a foreshortened look at his Brooklyn-to-Rock Center bike commute. You’ll have to forgive the sidewalk riding that bookends the trip. Brooklyn Bridge Park, the Brooklyn Bridge […]
Contrary to Ray Kelly, NYPD Doesn’t Investigate Serious Traffic Injuries
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One day after Jacob Stevens filed suit against the NYPD for failing to properly investigate the crash that killed his wife, Clara Heyworth, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly told reporters that the department’s Accident Investigation Squad handles all crashes that result in serious injury. The claim does not withstand the slightest scrutiny. Here’s what Kelly said […]
Thank You for Making Our Spring Pledge Drive a Huge Success!
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I would like to extend a big virtual bear hug to everyone who donated to Streetsblog and Streetfilms during our spring pledge drive. Thanks to your support, we exceeded our goal and raised more than $31,000. That goes a long way and will fund a lot of reporting and videomaking in support of safer, more livable […]
It’s Too Late to Preserve NYC’s Historic Streets in Amber
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Last week the Times’ Local blog (now run by former Brooklyn Paper editor Gersh Kuntzman) ran a piece about some Fort Greene residents who think bike-share stations would “interfere” with the historic district: “The [kiosk is] much too large and out of place for [this block],” said Wyatt Cheek. “We just want it to be […]
Big Public Meeting on North Brooklyn Bike-share Coming Up Tomorrow Night
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If you live in North Brooklyn and you’re excited about the impending arrival of bike-share, you don’t want to miss the Community Board 1 meeting tomorrow evening. DOT will be presenting its revised bike-share station siting plan for Williamsburg and Greenpoint, and it would be a mistake to assume that everything will work out on […]
City Abruptly Rejects Sheridan Teardown; Serrano and Advocates Fight Back
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The Bloomberg administration has abruptly ruled out the possibility of tearing down the lightly-trafficked Sheridan Expressway and replacing it with mixed-use development, jobs, and parks. Neighborhood advocates and electeds are vowing to fight the decision, which they say fails to follow through on the comprehensive analysis the city promised to conduct as part of a […]
Eyes on the Street: New Manhattan Bikeways in Progress
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Photo contributor extraordinaire Jacob-uptown has uploaded a new batch to the Streetsblog Flickr pool, taking us on a tour of the major new bikeways DOT is implementing in Manhattan. The extension of the First Avenue bike lane from the Queensboro Bridge up to 72nd Street is nearly complete. It’s the first protected bike infrastructure on […]
Wolfson: Sponsor of Mandatory Helmet Bill Is No Friend of Cyclists
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In case you missed it yesterday, City Council Member David Greenfield was bombarded in the Twitterverse after the Wall Street Journal reported that he plans to introduce a mandatory bike helmet law. (Streetsblog joined the fray with enthusiasm.) City Hall is also having none of it. Deputy Mayor Howard Wolfson shot down the helmet law […]