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
Manhattan CB 2 Passes Unanimous Resolution in Favor of Bike-Share
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Earlier this month NYC DOT set off on a bike-share information tour, giving an introduction to the city’s plans for a public bike-sharing system to every community board in the proposed service area. Bike-share plans got an enthusiastic reception from the Manhattan CB2 Transportation Committee. And it turns out that the full board backs the […]
Jury Applies No Penalty to Speeding Driver For Killing Cyclist Jake McDonaugh
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A Brooklyn jury has found defendant Michael Oxley not guilty of criminally negligent homicide in the 2010 death of Jake McDonaugh, the Post reports. Oxley was speeding behind the wheel of a Dodge Caravan when he ran down cyclist McDonaugh at the intersection of Flatbush Avenue and Duryea Place last April. The investigation and prosecution […]
Where to Go for Traffic Justice Rally at Noon Today
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Last week Matthew Lefevre was killed by a hit-and-run truck driver while biking in East Williamsburg. According to the wisps of information NYPD has released about the case, it seems that police exonerated the driver based only on his own explanation — that he never saw Lefevre or noticed he’d run him down. At noon […]
Tomorrow: Rally at One Police Plaza Calling on NYPD to Uphold Traffic Laws
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Last week, Mathieu Lefevre was biking south on Morgan Avenue in East Williamsburg when he was killed by a truck driver turning right from Morgan onto Meserole Street. The driver parked a short distance away and left the scene. After trying to locate the driver for days, the NYPD finally tracked him down, but as […]
Cuomo Selects Joe Lhota as Next MTA Chair
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Governor Andrew Cuomo today named Joseph Lhota as his pick to run the nation’s largest transit system. Lhota, a former deputy mayor and budget director under mayor Rudy Giuliani, will officially hold the position of MTA CEO after a confirmation vote by the New York State Senate, which is not expected to pose much of […]
What If Washington Never Built Metro?
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Rail~Volution 2011 marks the first time since 2002 that this conference for all things transit and smart growth has taken place in the nation’s capital. When it comes to livability, Washington and neighboring Arlington County have some great stories to share with the rest of the country. At the heart of the region’s success is, […]
What Should Happen to the Sheridan Expressway? Share Your Ideas Tomorrow
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The potential teardown of the lightly-trafficked Sheridan Expressway in the South Bronx is the most exciting street reclamation initiative in the works anywhere in NYC. For years, local advocates doggedly built the case for replacing the aging highway with housing, parks, and other uses. Recently we’ve seen some major breakthroughs that make the teardown an […]
Public Presentations on NYC Bike-Share Start Next Week
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Next week, NYC DOT and Alta Bikeshare will begin what promises to be a detailed public outreach process to help plan the city’s new bike-share system. The schedule for the first community board presentations has been posted on the city’s bike-share timeline. Planning the bike-share network will involve placing about 600 stations within a service […]
Eyes on the Street: New Public Plaza Coming to Jackson Heights
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Clarence sends over this photo of the newly car-free block of 37th Road between 73rd Street and 74th Street in Jackson Heights. Since this picture was taken, the asphalt on this block has been coated with an epoxy-and-gravel surface, and it looks like a two-way bike path will be striped on one side of the […]
The NBBL Files: Weinshall Got Randy Mastro Before the Paint on PPW Was Dry
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Last week, opponents of the Prospect Park West redesign moved to appeal Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Bert Bunyan’s decision to reject their complaint against the city. If the community board’s approval of the bike lane and the data showing its effect on speeding and safety didn’t persuade them not to sue in the first place, […]
Contrary to Statement on WNYC, Gibson Dunn Now Claims Weinshall as Client
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Yesterday we found out that the well-connected opponents of the Prospect Park West bike lane are refusing to accept the decision from Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Bert Bunyan rejecting their lawsuit. A caveat to the journalists who might pick up the remnants of this story: Quotes from the opponents’ attorney, Gibson Dunn partner Jim Walden, […]
Utility Van Driver: We Need Better NYPD Enforcement to Protect Pedestrians
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Had to share this message from Daily News reader Ken Douglas in response to the opinion piece I wrote with Dr. Linda Prine about the health and safety benefits of complete streets. Our essay focused on the engineering side of the street safety equation — street designs like bike lanes and curb extensions that are […]