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
Why Isn’t Traffic Reduction a Top Public Health Concern?
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Earlier this week, Ken Archer at Greater Greater Washington posted this revealing graphic showing the relationship between the amount of driving we do in the United States and the death toll on our roads. Even as conventional traffic safety techniques have made driving less deadly, the rise in miles driven knocked back those improvements. It […]
The Fare Hike, the Service Cuts, and the Ballot Box
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This afternoon the MTA officially unveiled the fare and toll increases it’s proposing to help close the agency’s remaining $400 million budget gap. The dailies had already reported many of the measures on the table, and it looks like the burden is going to fall mainly on New Yorkers who use subways and buses the […]
Eyes on the Street: Safer Intersections for Young and Old on the UWS
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Reader Lisa Sladkus sent in these photos of new pedestrian refuges on West End Avenue in the 60s. Above is the refuge that just went in at 66th Street, and after the jump you can see one on 61st Street. Both are awaiting plantings in their tree pits. These refuges are the most visible improvements […]
On the 20th Anniversary of ADA, Too Many Streets Remain Inaccessible
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Yesterday marked the 20th anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act, the landmark law that set federal standards to make public places universally accessible. Two decades later, the ADA has improved access for millions, but in many places, the spirit of the law seems lost on those who shape the streets. To get a sense […]
Eyes on the Street: Blast of Thermoplast on Flushing
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John Del Signore at Gothamist got this shot of Flushing Avenue this morning. Looks like phase one of the Flushing bikeway is getting striped, creating a continuous link between North Brooklyn and the Manhattan Bridge. A refresher: The two-way, jersey barrier-separated path on Williamsburg Street West will extend to Washington Avenue on the north side […]
What If Roads Really Did Have to Pay for Themselves?
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Pittsburgh’s bus system is far from the only subsidized transportation in Pennsylvania. Photo: Port Authority Pittsburgh area residents are reeling from the news this week that their transit agency, the Port Authority of Allegheny County, may cut 35 percent of its total service in January — and raise fares — unless the state of Pennsylvania […]
Manhattan CB4 Wants the Full Safety Treatment for Eighth Ave Bike Lane
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Last night Manhattan Community Board 4 voted unanimously in favor of an 11-block extension for the Eighth Avenue bike lane, which would bring the protected bikeway up to 34th Street. In an interesting flourish, the board asked that the extension include separate left-turn phases for bikes and cars. Top: Left-turn zone on Second Avenue. (Photo: […]
Sympathy for the Careless Driver
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Photo: Daily Breeze One of the stories that’s been percolating all week on the Streetsblog Network stars Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in a new role: urban cyclist. On Saturday, Villaraigosa was riding in a bike lane on Venice Boulevard (his first bike trip as mayor), when a cab driver cut him off, forcing him […]
Cop Caught on Tape Driving Into Cyclist Will Face Charges
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The officer who drove the wrong way down Jay Street and injured a cyclist near the foot of the Manhattan Bridge last month will face three misdemeanor counts filed by the Brooklyn District Attorney. Louis Ramos, an officer with the 84th Precinct, was behind the wheel of a squad car with his partner, Paris Anderson, […]
What Would You Like to Get Out of Open NYCDOT Data?
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Tomorrow morning, NYCDOT and a group of software developers, including some of my colleagues at OpenPlans, will sit down and discuss how to make information about New York City streets open to the public. The goal is to give developers access to data which they can turn into useful applications, much like how the MTA […]
Night of the Living Highway Extension
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Tacoma resident Evan Siroky got a rude reminder of what’s in Washington State DOT’s project pipeline yesterday, reading in the local paper that officials are looking to revive plans to extend state route 167 as a limited access highway. The new highway segment would reach the Port of Tacoma, and Siroky writes on member blog […]
Brad Aaron: An Appreciation
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If you read Streetsblog regularly, you know something’s been missing the last few weeks. Our most tenacious voice for a rational, effective legal system to keep city streets safe from dangerous drivers has been absent. Brad Aaron stepped down as deputy editor earlier this month, but you’ll be seeing his byline here again before long. […]