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
First Segment of Downtown East River Esplanade Opens, Already Packed
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The first section of the new East River Waterfront Esplanade officially opened in the short stretch between Wall Street and Maiden Lane today. The full two-mile, $165 million park will run from the Battery to just north of the Manhattan Bridge when complete in 2013. The new public space was already in heavy use today: […]
Jackson Heights Play Street Open Extra Month, Could Become Permanent
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Jackson Heights’ 78th Street Play Street, a summertime street closure won in last year’s best feel-good story of grassroots activism, has been expanded from two months of car-free space to three this year. If all goes well in September, when the school year has started, some sort of year-round street closure should be in the […]
To Close the Gender Gap, Separate Cyclists From Cars
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The gender gap in American cycling is a thorny and persistent issue, and New York City performs relatively poorly on the measure. The percentage of female bike commuters has wavered between 20 and 25 percent of the total over the last two decades, but with a marked rise in the most recent years. One of […]
Plans For First Two Crosstown Central Park Bike-Ped Paths Take Shape
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Details are emerging about the plan to create shared bike/pedestrian paths cutting east-west across Central Park. The first two paths are likely to officially open on a trial basis in September, cutting across the park at roughly 102nd Street and 96th Street, said Central Park Conservancy community relations manager Caroline Greenleaf at a Community Board […]
With Plenty of Fanfare, Cuomo Toughens New York’s Distracted Driving Law
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Standing in front of two police cars and an enormous electronic traffic sign, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed tougher statewide distracted driving legislation into law this afternoon. The law, sponsored by State Senator Carl Marcellino and Assembly Member Harvey Weisenberg, makes the use of handheld electronic devices while driving a primary offense, allowing the police to […]
CB 12’s Bike Resolution Testifies to Uptown Support for Safer Streets
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In the wake of its long-planned bike lane forum, Manhattan Community Board 12 has finalized a resolution calling for a major study of bike infrastructure of Upper Manhattan, available in full above. Overall it’s a strong demonstration of support for the expansion of bikeways in the area. Perhaps most importantly, the resolution, which passed by […]
Brennan Drops Plan for More Atlantic Yards Parking, Will Push Transit Instead
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Assembly Member James Brennan has abandoned the idea of implementing additional parking minimums at Atlantic Yards. That plan would have led more people to drive to the arena while failing to keep on-street spaces open for area residents. Wrote Brennan in an email to Streetsblog: I understand the concerns raised about my idea of compelling […]
Scott Stringer, Linda Rosenthal Push DOT to Install Promised Ped Safety Fix
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One year ago, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal stood on a traffic island in the middle of the intersection of Amsterdam Avenue, Broadway, and 71st Street to urge the Department of Transportation to install a slew of safety features at what they called “the bowtie of death.” That September, DOT […]
Eyes on the Street: Progress on the First Ave Bike Lane. Terrorists Rejoice!
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As Marcia Kramer informed CBS2 viewers last night, construction has begun on the extension of the First and Second Avenue bike lanes from 34th Street to 57th Street. The section of First Avenue from 34th Street to 47th Street is the only part of this project where the bike lane will be physically protected from […]
Mica Transportation Bill Would Devastate New York Transit
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Rep. John Mica’s proposed transportation bill would take a machete to federal transportation spending, cutting overall transportation funding by a third and entirely eliminating dedicated funds for pedestrian and bike infrastructure. In New York, the effects would be especially dire. Statewide, the total cuts would inch up to 37 percent, according to calculations by the […]
New Online Networking Platform Focuses on Greening NYC
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New York has launched a new online platform, called Change By Us, meant to support local activism across the city. The first topic being tackled: How to make New York City greener. The site gives New Yorkers a forum to submit ideas for how to improve the city and organize themselves into groups that can […]
Judge Rejects Delay Attempt By PPW Bike Lane Opponents
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Jim Walden and the bike lane opponents have failed in another effort to reshuffle the court’s schedule to gain a legal advantage in their fight against the Prospect Park West lawsuit. Yesterday, as Transportation Nation’s Kate Hinds reported, Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Bert Bunyan denied a request by Walden to put off a July court […]