Clarence Eckerson Jr.
Clarence Eckerson Jr. is the Director of Video Production for NYCSR's StreetFilms and producer of bikeTV. He loves the color purple, chocolate chip cookies, and enjoys walking, biking, and taking transit. He has never owned a driver's license.
Recent Posts
Streetfilms Shortie: Cyclists on Rails in Zurich
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One thing that impressed me during my three days in Zurich was I saw no cyclists crash while navigating the surface rails for the 15 tram lines that run all over the city. I was told by some there are certainly problems, and crashes happen, but I saw some real pro rail-riding behavior. One of […]
No, Amsterdam Is Not “Swamped” By Bikes
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In June, the New York Times published a story headlined “The Dutch Prize Their Pedal Power, But a Sea of Bikes Swamps Their Capital” that instigated much debate (over 365 reader comments in one day) and a torrent of emails to the editor. The Times followed up by seeking a “dialogue” with its readers about the supposed “swamping” of Amsterdam […]
Strong Towns’ Chuck Marohn: Why Suburban Growth Is a Ponzi Scheme
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Chuck Marohn cofounded the non-profit Strong Towns in 2009. Since then he has steadily built an audience for his message about the financial folly of car-centric planning and growth. The suburban development pattern that has prevailed since the end of World War II has resulted in what Marohn calls “the growth Ponzi scheme” — a system that […]
Some Things You Might See While In Amsterdam
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I’m currently on a European junket, and ahead of the more serious Streetfilms that will come out of it, I thought it would be prudent to put up some everyday street scenes of bicycling in Amsterdam. Enjoy! Make sure to check back for more extensive coverage in coming weeks.
Salt Lake City: A Red State Capital Builds Ambitious Transit
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According to Congress for New Urbanism President John Norquist, the Salt Lake City area has the fastest growing rail system in America. And as Streetsblog’s Angie Schmitt pointed out last month, “It’s the only city in the country building light rail, bus rapid transit, streetcars and commuter rail at the same time.” Since the late 1990s, SLC […]
Is This the First NYC Community Board Meeting Held in a Public Plaza?
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I can’t say with certainty that this is the first NYC community board meeting held in a public plaza, but it certainly is the first I’ve heard of in my 22 years in New York City. On Thursday, Queens Community Board 3 held their monthly meeting amid the hustle and bustle of Jackson Heights’ Diversity Plaza on […]
The Magnificent Bioswales Along the Indy Cultural Trail
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Many American cities are warming to the idea of handling their stormwater runoff at ground level. In Indianapolis, they decided to work bioswales and stormwater retention into the newly opened Cultural Trail. The eight-mile biking and walking route loops through the heart of the downtown, and in this short, Karen S. Haley, the Executive Director of […]
The Indianapolis Cultural Trail: America’s Next-Gen Protected Bike Lanes
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In May, the Indianapolis Cultural Trail, a bike and pedestrian path connecting some of Indy’s most popular cultural institutions, had its long-awaited public coming out with a ribbon cutting and celebration. It’s one of the biggest bicycling infrastructure achievements in North America, and yet it’s still practically a secret. As you’ll see, the Cultural Trail runs […]
GOP Mayor Greg Ballard: Making Bicycling a Priority in Indianapolis
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Across the nation, many big-city mayors of both political parties are embracing bikes and livable streets. As you’ll see, Indianapolis’ Mayor Greg Ballard, a Republican, believes that making city cycling safer and more enjoyable will attract young people and families and benefit business. Ballard has expanded the number of miles of bike lanes from one (in […]
Citi Bike Debuts in New York City!
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Memorial Day 2013 marked a milestone in NYC transportation history: the debut of the city’s bike-share system, Citi Bike. At 330 stations, 6,000 bikes (of a planned 10,000) were available to more than 13,000 members who signed up for a yearly pass — and many of them couldn’t wait to hit the streets! The press conference […]
Streetfacts #4: Children Have Lost the Freedom to Roam
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Think of this Streetfacts chapter as a PSA about how, in just a few generations, we have tightly restricted American kids’ freedom to roam, play, and become self-sufficient. The percentage of children walking and bicycling to school has plummeted from almost 50 percent in 1969 to about 13 percent today. Although distance from school is often cited […]
Streetfacts: Roads Are a Money Losing Proposition
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The majority of the roads and highways built in America are simply bad investments. Continuing this pattern will only ensure that wasteful projects consume larger chunks of our federal, state, and local budgets, without addressing the real need for transportation options. This Streetfacts chapter has a bit more math than usual, but we think we’ve made an […]