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
We’ve Made a Few Comment System Tweaks
| | 22 Comments
In response to some reader feedback since we launched the new commenting platform, Disqus, we’ve made a few adjustments to the layout of the comments section. There are two changes: The comment entry form now appears at the top of the comment thread. We did this because it’s the only way to have the Disqus […]
Weiner Alone Incurred One Eighth of Congress’s Unpaid Parking and Traffic Tix
| | 7 Comments
This just in from the muckrakers at Roll Call: Of the $15,000+ in outstanding parking and traffic fines accumulated by members of Congress, more than $2,000 was owed by NYC’s Anthony Weiner alone, according to reporters’ survey of license plates and records. Weiner promptly paid the fines after Roll Call informed him of the findings. […]
Caption Contest: Not Commenting About the [Expletive] Bike Lane
| | 11 Comments
This was the scene in Jackson Heights yesterday, where Mayor Bloomberg, Anthony Weiner, and the top dog on Prospect Park West, Senator Chuck Schumer, joined a bevy of other pols to contest the surprisingly low Census counts in Brooklyn and Queens. (That’s Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez between Bloomberg and Schumer.) During the presser, the Senator was […]
Someone’s Paying for a Phone Survey About the Prospect Park West Bike Lane
| | 31 Comments
Streetsblog has received multiple reports from people who were called yesterday for an opinion survey about the Prospect Park West bike lane. Notably, the question set focused specifically on the redesign of this one street, not broader issues of cycling or bike infrastructure. We can’t say whether the poll was commissioned by one of the […]
Introducing Our New Comment System
| | 40 Comments
You may have noticed something different about Streetsblog’s comment system this morning. We’re doing a tech upgrade and introducing a new commenting platform called Disqus, which we hope will enrich the conversation here and make it easier for you to connect with other readers. Disqus is a popular commenting platform and you’ve probably seen it […]
Get Hypnotized By Boris Bikes
| | 7 Comments
Dr. Martin Austwick created this animation of bike-share usage in London on October 4, 2010, when transit workers were on strike. It’s totally spellbinding. Bonus game for the geeks in the house — before you hit play, leave your best guess in the comments about the time of day when the system hits peak usage. […]
Video: Rodriguez, Lander Call for Return to Sanity in Central Park
| | 21 Comments
Via Andy Shen at NYVelocity, here’s the video of this week’s press conference and rally at City Hall, where Council Members Ydanis Rodriguez and Brad Lander kicked off the push to set traffic signals in Central Park and Prospect Park to flashing yellow during car-free hours. It’s encouraging to hear some clear thinking from Council […]
Deputy Mayor Howard Wolfson Talks Bike Lanes on Brian Lehrer
| | 16 Comments
Deputy Mayor Howard Wolfson, sender of this week’s memo on “Office of the Mayor” letterhead defending the city’s bike policy, should be on the air at WNYC momentarily. This is the follow-up to yesterday’s segment with Jim Walden, who’s suing the city on behalf of Prospect Park West bike lane opponents. Update: Here are some […]
Jim Walden Tries to Distance Bike Lane Lawsuit From Weinshall and Schumer
| | 31 Comments
This morning, Gibson Dunn attorney Jim Walden continued his media tour calling attention to the lawsuit he filed earlier this month to remove the Prospect Park West bike lane. Appearing on the Brian Lehrer show, Walden tried to distance the group he represents from former DOT Commissioner Iris Weinshall and her husband, Senator Chuck Schumer. […]
NBBL Lawyer Jim Walden on Brian Lehrer This Morning
| | 20 Comments
Update 4: Second caller is Michael Freedman-Schnapp from Brad Lander’s office, and the third caller is a mother of three, Megan, who feels safer crossing PPW now that it’s not a three-lane speedway. And that’s it for the callers. Lehrer pops a “pro bono” question. Walden says he took the case pro bono because it’s […]
NYPD: Riding Faster Than 15 MPH in Central Park Now Illegal
| | 59 Comments
NYPD’s apparent bid to criminalize recreational cycling in Central Park took another surreal turn this morning. One week after hundreds of people asked police to stop the irrational barrage of red light tickets for cyclists in the park, NYPD has apparently doubled down on its bike enforcement blitz. Cycling message boards lit up today with […]
Eyes on the Street: Gabbing on Garfield Street, After the Parade
| | 3 Comments
Thought you might enjoy this street scene from Garfield Place yesterday afternoon, sent by reader Jeff Prant. The Park Slope St. Patrick’s Day Parade had passed through earlier in the day, leaving in its wake some neighborly conversation. I’m guessing Donald Appleyard would have liked this picture.