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
Election Day Open Thread
| | 19 Comments
How are those ballot scanners working today, NYC? Leave your forecasts, analysis, hopes and fears in the comments. My contribution: I predict the Dems will not sweep the statewide races.
Streetfilms Shorties: Celebrating the Columbus Avenue Bike Lane
| | 10 Comments
For your viewing pleasure this weekend — Clarence filmed this short, exhilarating group ride down the brand new protected bike path on Columbus Avenue. New Yorkers won this mile of safer street after a down-to-the-wire Community Board 7 vote in favor of the plan. A lot of hard work and organizing went into that vote, […]
Last Chance to Tell Lander and Levin How You Feel About the New PPW
| | 4 Comments
Today is the last day you can fill out the Prospect Park West bike lane survey. City Council members Brad Lander and Steve Levin set up the survey a few weeks ago to see what their constituents think of the redesigned PPW. If you haven’t filled out the survey yet (and especially if you live […]
Video: Rider Rebellion and Reverend Al Tell Albany to Stand Up for Transit
| | 2 Comments
Streetfilms’ Robin Urban Smith was out at the Rider Rebellion rally with us last night and filed this report.
Working Families Party, Greens Make Their Case to NYC Transit Riders
| | 8 Comments
At Union Square last night, more than a hundred people rallied for better transit in a kick-off event for the Rider Rebellion, a new campaign led by Transportation Alternatives. With Reverend Al Sharpton headlining, the rally urged New Yorkers to “vote transit” on Tuesday and presented state politicos with the chance to make their case […]
Former Deputy Mayor Under Dinkins Lobbies City Hall to Kill PPW Bike Lane
| | 64 Comments
Last week’s rally to defend the Prospect Park West bike lane, organized in response to a concurrent anti-bike lane protest, was a clear-cut demonstration of the public support enjoyed by a project that’s calmed speeding traffic and made cycling more attainable for people of all ages. By most estimates, supporters of the new PPW outnumbered […]
This Afternoon at Union Square: Join the Rider Rebellion
| | 4 Comments
Hey folks, just a quick reminder: Today at 5:30 p.m. you’re invited to join the Rider Rebellion, “an action-oriented campaign that will pressure state and city elected officials to stand up for riders and provide stable, long term funding for subways and buses.” There’s going to be a rally at Union Square to raise the […]
We’re Counting on You: Raise $50K for Streetsblog in Our First Pledge Drive
| | 19 Comments
If you enjoy Streetsblog and believe in the work we do to inform people about how New York can become a better city — with world-class streets, less traffic, safer biking and walking, and great transit options — please give generously to our first year-end pledge drive. Your donation will help ensure that Streetsblog NYC […]
Picture This: ARC Money + Congestion Pricing = No More NYC Transit Cuts
| | 14 Comments
Later today, Governor Chris Christie is expected to announce that he’s shutting down construction of the ARC tunnel for good, closing off the potential for transit-based growth in northern New Jersey for the foreseeable future. In a dark day for smart planning and development, the project to double NJ Transit’s capacity to Manhattan has become […]
Does the Working Families Party Deserve the NYC Transit Rider Vote?
| | 14 Comments
Can any political party credibly claim to represent New York City transit riders in next Tuesday’s elections? Well, we can safely rule out the GOP and any party that gives its ballot line to Carl Paladino. Then there are the New York City Democrats, who have, if anything, been an even bigger obstruction to transit […]
CB 6 Committee Gives Thumbs Up to Park Smart Expansion in Park Slope
| | 3 Comments
In a short, quiet and rancor-free meeting, the Brooklyn Community Board 6 Transportation Committee last night approved a resolution supporting the expansion of NYC DOT’s Park Smart pilot program throughout Park Slope’s commercial streets. When the Park Slope pilot launched in April 2009, the city raised the peak hour meter rate from 75 cents per […]
Marty’s Message: If You Disagree With Marty, You Don’t Count
| | 66 Comments
At yesterday’s day of action on Prospect Park West, one contention from the opposition especially didn’t sit well with everyone who turned out to support the redesigned, traffic-calmed street. With hundreds of bike lane supporters gathered on the sidewalk a few feet away, Borough President Marty Markowitz’s chief of staff, Carlo Scissura, told the assembled […]