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
Memo to Goldsmith: To Balance NYC’s Transpo System, Make Cycling Safer
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Deputy Mayor Stephen Goldsmith and Mayor Bloomberg. Photo: Daily News There’s a lot to like about Stephen Goldsmith’s answers during yesterday’s must-read interview with WNYC’s Andrea Bernstein. It’s clear that NYC’s new deputy mayor for operations has a passion for efficiency. He comes across as deeply attuned to the fact that we allocate much of […]
Is Your Home Less Affordable Than You Think, or More?
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This spring, the Chicago-based Center for Neighborhood Technology made a big policy splash when they released the Housing and Transportation Affordability Index. CNT’s work — including a nifty mapping tool — made it easy to see that "affordable" housing wasn’t so affordable when it’s located in car-dependent areas that come saddled with high but underappreciated […]
Hayley and Diego’s Law Might Be Enacted By Friday
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Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer at a rally for Hayley and Diego’s Law last month. Photo: Noah Kazis The only thing that can prevent the adoption of New York state’s first "vulnerable users law" is Governor Paterson’s veto pen. Hayley and Diego’s Law, named in memory of two pre-schoolers killed by a van left idling […]
There’s No Such Thing as a Free Bridge
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Photo of the Willis Avenue Bridge floating by barge under the Triborough’s Harlem River span: MTA The journey of the new Willis Avenue Bridge has been a sight to behold. Over the past few weeks, the gargantuan span that will replace the existing bridge linking Harlem and the South Bronx has floated down the Hudson […]
Eyes on the Street: 78th Street, Jackson Heights, 8:15 PM
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The first 2010 installment of Summer Streets is tomorrow, and I can’t think of a better way to get in the mood than to check in on this inspiring grassroots victory for livable streets in New York City. These are pictures Clarence took last Friday at the 78th Street Play Street in Jackson Heights. The […]
Friday Bikeway Omnibus Review
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Furman Street, under the BQE. Photo: Paco Abraham We’ve got a few different bikeway-related reader submissions that have come over the wire recently. First up, Dave "Paco" Abraham sends this picture of a two-way barrier-separated bikeway going in on Furman Street by the downtown Brooklyn waterfront. Furman is on the route of the Brooklyn Waterfront […]
Henry Hudson Bridge Path Re-Opens — With a Cycling Ban
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The view of the Henry Hudson path from the Bronx side. Photo: James Rather Residents of Northern Manhattan and the west Bronx have been waiting more than three years for the re-opening of the bike-ped path on the lower deck of the Henry Hudson Bridge. When the moment finally came earlier this summer, however, cyclists […]
Today Denverites Ride Public Bikes. Tomorrow They’ll Speak Esperanto.
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The Colorado governor’s race was always going to be one for sustainable transportation advocates to keep an eye on. The likely Democratic nominee, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, has built a solid resume of support for transit and bicycling. But recent events suggest the green transportation/livable streets stakes may be waaaaay higher than expected. Dan Maes: […]
Livable Communities Act Clears Senate Committee
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The Senate Banking Committee voted 12-10 yesterday in favor of the Livable Communities Act, legislation that would bolster the Obama administration’s initiatives to link together transportation, housing, economic development, and environmental policy. Donovan, LaHood, Jackson: Together forever? The Livable Communities Act would codify the partnership between HUD, US DOT, and the EPA. Photo: EPA The […]
Radar Survey Says: New PPW Has Reversed the Curse of Speeding Traffic
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Vehicle speeds recorded on Prospect Park West at the intersection of Garfield Place before and after implementation of the road diet + bike lane. Graphic: Park Slope Neighbors [PDF] The Prospect Park West bike lane has bestowed order and virtually eliminated the raceway conditions on a street where speeding used to be the norm. In […]
From the Outset, NYPD “Suspected No Criminality” in Death of Max Mendez
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The location where Max Mendez was killed by a tow truck operator last Friday, described in some press accounts as an "entrance ramp" to the Triborough Bridge. Image: Google Maps Three days after 6-year-old Max Mendez was killed by an MTA tow truck operator while walking with his mother to the Wagner Pool at 124th […]
Eyes on the Street: Sudden Collapse in East River Greenway
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The East River Greenway collapsed at 72nd Street without the usual warning signs. Photo: seth_holliday/Flickr Gothamist posted this alarming picture of a cave-in on the East River Greenway that first appeared on Wednesday. After the initial fencing off and some calls to 311, the city responded by installing the temporary span shown below. Photo: Erin […]