Noah Kazis
Noah joined Streetsblog as a New York City reporter at the start of 2010. When he was a kid, he collected subway paraphernalia in a Vignelli-map shoebox.
Before coming to Streetsblog, he blogged at TheCityFix DC and worked as a field organizer for the Obama campaign in Toledo, Ohio. Noah graduated from Yale University, where he wrote his senior thesis on the class politics of transportation reform in New York City. He lives in Morningside Heights.
Recent Posts
Widening Coalition Calls Out Cuomo for Abandoning Transit
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Anger over Governor Cuomo’s disregard for transit riders during this week’s special session continues to grow. Since yesterday, two new organizations have signed on to a letter calling out the governor for neutering transit lockbox legislation that the State Assembly and State Senate had passed unanimously. The League of Women’s Voters of New York City […]
Motorcyclist Kills Pedestrian Crossing Flatbush Avenue at Parkside
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A motorcyclist driving north on Flatbush Avenue hit and killed a woman crossing the street at Parkside Avenue yesterday morning. NYPD’s public information office told Streetsblog the victim was crossing against the light and while an investigation is ongoing, no charges have been brought against the driver. The crash took place yesterday around 5:00 in […]
Safety Fix at Prospect Park Entrance Projected to Prevent 10 Injuries a Year
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After years of neighborhood activism, the Department of Transportation plans to install much-needed safety improvements at the dangerous intersection of Ocean Avenue and Parkside Avenue, at the southeast corner of Prospect Park. By closing a park entrance to automobiles, DOT will simplify the intersection and shrink the space dedicated to traffic, preventing an estimated ten […]
Cuomo “Eviscerated” Transit Lockbox, Says Bill’s Sponsor
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Governor Andrew Cuomo and the leadership of the state legislature added insult to injury last night, neutering the transit lockbox bill even after they put hundreds of millions in dedicated transit revenue at risk. While lockbox language did make it into the omnibus legislation passed last night, the governor’s office stripped out the meaningful provisions […]
As Dedicated MTA Funds Disappear, Cuomo Still Hasn’t Signed Lockbox Bill
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Even as Governor Andrew Cuomo moves to put $320 million in dedicated transit funding in a precarious position, he still hasn’t acted on transit lockbox legislation which would help protect the dedicated funds that remain. The bill, sponsored by Assembly Member James Brennan and Senator Marty Golden, passed both houses of the legislature unanimously last […]
Cuomo Tax Deal Could Leave $320M in MTA Funding on Shaky Ground
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As the details of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s MTA tax deal take shape — they’ve been in flux all day — it appears that transit service could be imperiled, if not immediately then in the long-term. Essentially, Cuomo seems set to turn $320 million in dedicated MTA revenue into discretionary funding, a recipe for it to […]
Strong Majority Supports Protected Bike Lanes at East Harlem Hearing
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At a long and at points contentious public hearing last night, a clear majority of speakers came out in support of protected bike lanes on First and Second Avenues in East Harlem. In addition to local residents, the public health community came out in force to demolish the opposition’s claim that installing bike lanes could […]
Will City Planning Commission Uphold Parking Maximums at St. Vincent’s?
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The sides are lining up for and against the oversized parking garage that the Rudin family wants to build for its luxury apartments at the former St. Vincent’s Hospital site in Greenwich Village. Supporting the request to exceed Manhattan’s parking maximums is Borough President Scott Stringer. Opposing it are the community board and the urban […]
Cuomo Deal Will Cut Payroll Tax, Reimburse MTA, Create Infrastructure Fund
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The details of Governor Cuomo’s economic plan, which includes both tax reform and a new infrastructure fund, were released today with support from Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos. One of the MTA’s most important revenue streams is seriously affected by the tax reforms. The payroll mobility tax will be cut by […]
Public-Private Partnerships Won’t Solve New York’s Transpo Funding Crisis
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Governor Andrew Cuomo sent out an “editorial” this weekend putting infrastructure investment at the center of his job creation agenda. In a rough outline, the governor touted public-private partnerships (or PPPs, as they’re known) as a key mechanism to pay for “the repair and development of highways, bridges and major construction projects.” It also happens […]
At Sloth-Like 3.5 MPH, M50 Bus Wins This Year’s Pokey Award
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Want to understand why more Manhattanites don’t ride the bus? Look no further than this year’s Pokey awards, given out annually by the Straphangers Campaign. Manhattan buses, as usual, top the list of the year’s slowest service. The Pokey this year goes to the M50 crosstown bus, which averaged a mere 3.5 miles per hour […]
Vacca Watch: Transpo Chair Ignores His Own Hearing, Calls Plazas Bad for Biz
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James Vacca should know better. On Tuesday, the City Council passed his bill requiring the Department of Transportation to consult with the Department of Small Business Services, among other agencies, whenever it implements major changes to a street. Vacca gave this explanation of the bill’s significance: “Many of the bike paths, many of the pedestrian […]