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
Stephen Goldsmith Out, Cas Holloway in as Deputy Mayor For Operations
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Deputy Mayor Stephen Goldsmith has resigned as deputy mayor for operations, the mayor’s office announced today. Current Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Cas Holloway will replace him. Goldsmith was brought in for the mayor’s third term with a charge to reinvent city government, particularly along the libertarian lines that he espoused as mayor of Indianapolis. […]
Funding Assumptions in MTA Capital Program Already Look Like Fantasies
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The MTA capital budget is risky enough as advertised: It requires putting $7 billion of repairs and system expansions on transit riders’ credit card. But the total tab may end up being much bigger, because in addition to billions in borrowing, the funding plan relies on a series of highly optimistic assumptions. Just one week […]
Cyclist Killed Near Rockaway Beach, Second Bike Fatality This Week
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A motorist hit and killed 70-year-old cyclist Andrzei Wiesniuk near Rockaway Beach last night, according to a report in the Daily News. The driver, Jonathan Rincon, was arrested for driving with a suspended license. Wiesniuk was riding north on Cross Bay Parkway near Beach Channel Drive, the News reported, when he turned to try and cross […]
Crossover Mirror Bill Takes Effect Next January
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On July 18, Governor Cuomo signed into law legislation requiring that all large trucks driven on New York City streets have crossover mirrors to allow their drivers to see what’s directly in front of them. The law will take effect 180 days after the governor signed it, in mid-January. Once installed, the crossover mirrors will […]
Eyes on the Street: Lower Manhattan Bikeways Get More Rideable
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Last week we highlighted the construction underway on the upgraded bike lane and pedestrian space along Allen Street. Just a bit further south, the bikeway portion of the project is already open along Pike Street south of Madison Street. Streetsblog reader Jacob-uptown snapped some great pics of the new lanes and the ongoing work. As […]
Vacca Watch: Transpo Chair Stays Strong on Speeding Enforcement
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City Council Transportation Chair James Vacca showed his safety supporter side at a press conference in the Bronx this morning. Standing with DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan at the corner of the Grand Concourse and 165th Street to announce the installation of countdown pedestrian signals, Vacca had strong words for speeding motorists and endorsements for both […]
Silver on MTA Funding Plan: Wait Until 2012 Budget Debate
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The current MTA capital budget is very bad news for transit riders, who are being asked to shoulder $7 billion in debt all on their own. Where can the 8 million daily riders who count on the MTA turn for help? Not Washington: The just-negotiated debt ceiling deal is likely to mean more cuts to […]
Vacca Watch: Transpo Chair a Big Booster of Parking Minimums
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The Bronx is booming. Over the last decade, no borough added more new residents or posted faster wage growth. The Bronx’s incredible resurgence even attracted national attention last week from USA Today, which turned to City Council Member James Vacca to explain the wave of residential development in the borough. Vacca used the opportunity to […]
Take a Tour of the Sheridan Expressway (While You Still Can)
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When taking a tour of the Sheridan Expressway, the first thing you realize is that you’re also taking a tour of the Bronx River Greenway. The two pieces of infrastructure — one a 1.25-mile stub of highway, the other a still-piecemeal bike and pedestrian path reconnecting Bronx neighborhoods to the water — both run through […]
Workshop Offers Few Strong Ideas for Deadly Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Blvd.
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Big ideas were in short supply at a workshop held Wednesday night to develop a badly-needed safety plan for Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Boulevard. This year alone, three pedestrians have been killed in traffic crashes along the 100-foot wide avenue, but many of the workshop participants seemed focused on making it easier to drive through […]
Spring Bike Counts Show Steady Growth of 14 Percent
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The growth of cycling in New York City shows no signs of letting up. The Department of Transportation’s latest count of cyclists entering the center of the city posted a 14 percent increase this spring compared to last spring. If the trend holds up for the rest of 2011, it will mark the fifth consecutive year […]
Hudson River Greenway Reopened As Of This Morning
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Good news for cyclists, joggers, and others using the Hudson River Greenway: The ten blocks of the off-street path between 135th Street and 145th Street which had been blocked off were reopened at 10:00 this morning, according to a spokesperson for the city Department of Environmental Protection. While the path was closed due to repairs […]