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Jesse Coburn

Jesse Coburn is Streetsblog's investigative reporter. His reporting has received a Sigma Award, a Casey Feldman Award, and awards from the Silurians Press Club and the Overseas Press Club Foundation. Previously he was a reporter at Newsday and an editor at ARCH+. He’s also written for the New York Times, the Baltimore Sun, Harper’s, Cabinet and other publications. Jesse is is on Twitter at @jesse_coburn. His email address is jesse@streetsblog.org.

Recent Posts

Assembly Member Paul Moriarty's bill would tighten penalties for selling or buying temp tags. Illustration: Martin Schapiro/Inset photo: Hal Brown for New Jersey Monitor

N.J. Legislator Proposes New Charges for Selling, Driving With Illegal Temporary License Plates

By Jesse Coburn | May 10, 2023 | No Comments
A New Jersey lawmaker on Monday proposed a major step toward dismantling the black market for the state's temporary license plates, introducing legislation that would create new criminal penalties for selling and driving with fraudulent paper tags.
New Jersey Assembly Member Annette Chaparro (top) grilled Motor Vehicle Commission Administrator Latrecia Littles-Floyd about the state's easily counterfeited paper license plates at a hearing on Monday.

N.J. Lawmaker Proposes Eliminating Paper Temporary License Plates to Fight Fraud

By Jesse Coburn | May 4, 2023 | No Comments
The proposal was floated at a legislative hearing Wednesday in Trenton, where Streetsblog's recent three-part investigation into temporary license plate fraud was widely cited.
Georgia Department of Revenue Special Agent Jares Peoples testified that the agency only has four investigators for the state's thousands of dealers. Photo: Georgia House of Representatives

Georgia: Our Temp Tags ‘Wreaking Havoc’ in NYC Because of Lax Rules, Few Investigators

By Jesse Coburn | Apr 19, 2023 | No Comments
Officials in Georgia admitted that its main agency in charge of regulating the retail car industry has only four investigators for 7,500 dealers in the state, making it difficult to crack down on illegal temp tag dealers who are "wreaking havoc" in New York City.
Pols in Georgia and New Jersey (clockwise from top left, N.J. Assembly Members Clinton Calabrese and Paul Moriarty, and Georgia Sen. Josh McLaurin and Rep. John Corbett) pledged to act to crack down on temp tag fraud.
Illustration: Martin Schapiro

N.J. and Georgia Lawmakers Pledge Action on Temp Tag Fraud Detailed In Streetsblog Investigation

By Jesse Coburn | Apr 18, 2023 | No Comments
"At a minimum, fines should be dramatically increased," said one New Jersey official. "Criminal penalties should also be considered."
Council Member Oswald Feliz (inset) will propose legislation to crack down on the problem of ghost plates documented in a three-part Streetsblog series. Illustration: Martin Schapiro

Council Member Proposes New Fines for Temp Tag Fraud Following Streetsblog Investigation

By Jesse Coburn | Apr 11, 2023 | No Comments
The proposed legislation from Oswald Feliz (D-Bronx) would empower the city to fine New Yorkers caught selling temporary license plates and increase fines to drivers using fake or fraudulent temp tags.
Illustration: Martin Schapiro

GHOST TAGS: Inside NYC’s Black Market for Temporary License Plates

By Jesse Coburn | Apr 5, 2023 | No Comments
In the final part of our three-part series, Streetsblog introduces you to the people who buy illegal temporary license plates.
Illustration: Martin Schapiro

GHOST TAGS PART II: Inside NYC's Black Market for Temporary License Plates

By Jesse Coburn | Apr 4, 2023 | No Comments
On Tuesday, we published the second part of our series, In this part of the series, bringing you inside the shady car dealerships that churn out temporary tags. Here it is.
Read our investigation by clicking this image. Illustration: Martin Schapiro

GHOST TAGS PART I: Inside NYC's Black Market for Temporary License Plates

By Jesse Coburn | Apr 3, 2023 | No Comments
On Monday, we published Part I of our series on the black market for temporary license plates. Here it is.
The Department of Transportation under Mayor Eric Adams (left) and Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez (right) expects it will struggle to hit the targets for new bus lanes set by the Adams campaign and by the city's Streets Plan, sources told Streetsblog.

DOT Expects to Miss Targets for New Bus Lanes, Sources Say

By Jesse Coburn | Dec 12, 2022 | No Comments
The dim outlook on new lanes is bad news for the city’s more-than-one-million daily bus riders, whose commutes inch along at just 8 miles per hour on average across the city.

‘A NIMBY City Hall’: Adams Appointees Thwart Key Bike and Bus Projects

By Jesse Coburn | Oct 17, 2022 | No Comments
As the city seeks to redesign its streets to better serve transit riders, pedestrians and cyclists, interference is emerging from an unlikely place: City Hall itself. And one division of City Hall in particular.
The Skillman Avenue bike lane in September 2022. Business has grown on the street since the city installed it four years ago. Photo: Jesse Coburn

Business Grew After Controversial Bike Lane Installed, Data Show

By Jesse Coburn | Sep 30, 2022 | No Comments
It's a lesson for any community facing opposition from residents who claim bike lanes hurt business.
Across DOT, current and recently departed employees described similar problems: staffing deficits leaving remaining employees stretched thin, making it harder to meet agency benchmarks or postponing projects entirely, which hurts morale, which causes more employees to leave. Graphic: Streetsblog

‘Just Keeping the Lights On’: Low Morale, High Staff Vacancy Rate Hobble Department of Transportation

By Jesse Coburn | Sep 22, 2022 | No Comments
The upper ranks of the city Department of Transportation have been depleted by an exodus of high-skilled employees this year, reflecting mounting frustration among some staff members and making it harder for the agency to fulfill its mission.
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