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
Jim Brennan Wants to Force Ratner to Build More Atlantic Yards Parking
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Could the state legislature get in on the costly, congestion-inducing parking minimum game? And could they do it at the site of Brooklyn’s biggest transit hub? Under a proposal by Assembly Member James Brennan, that’s exactly what would happen. Brennan is working on legislation that would force Forest City Ratner to build more off-street parking […]
DOT Plan: No More Fighting Over Scraps at South End of Brooklyn Bridge Park
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Last week we covered DOT’s proposed safety improvements for the north side of Brooklyn Bridge Park, where sidewalk extensions, bike lanes, and planted medians will all be used to help pedestrians and cyclists safely reach the waterfront. DOT is also turning its attention to improving access to the southern entrance to the park, presenting a […]
Department of City Planning Continues to Restrict Development Near Transit
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The Department of City Planning’s commitment to rezoning the city along more transit-oriented lines is a critical component of its sustainability agenda. Allowing more people to live and work next to transit means more people will ride transit and fewer will drive. Under Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Planning Commissioner Amanda Burden, upzonings have indeed […]
Legislature Passes Distracted Driving Bill With Weaker Penalty Than Cuomo’s
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Legislation beefing up the state’s distracted driving laws passed the state legislature at the end of what was a fairly productive session on transportation issues last month. If signed into law, the bill should help prevent some of the 10,000 crashes caused by distracted driving each year in New York state. What passed the legislature […]
Vacca Watch: Council Allows Parking Meter Rates to Rise to Dollar Per Hour
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After a grim day, it’s nice to be able to head into the holiday weekend with some good news. In a vote on Wednesday, the City Council allowed a proposed parking meter rate hike to move forward. The cost of parking on the street for an hour will increase from 75 cents to a dollar […]
DOT: “No Plans at This Time” for Car-Free Central Park Trial
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The July 4 weekend is upon us and with it, the height of summer. If Manhattan’s community boards had their way, summertime would mean a trial closure of Central Park’s loop drive to cars. A resolution to try out such a closure from “the summer months through Labor Day” earned the support of Community Boards […]
Conservation Voters Give Legislature “B” Grade on Transportation
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The state legislature earned a solid B on sustainable transportation issues this term, according to a report card issued Wednesday by the New York League of Conservation Voters. Legislators earned top marks for passing complete streets legislation and a transit funding lockbox, but were penalized for their continued attacks on the MTA’s budget. Transportation was […]
Albany Law Aids UN Land Swap to Help Fill East River Greenway Gap
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The State Legislature took another step forward in the long and arduous process of filling the Midtown gap in the East River Greenway two weeks ago. By passing a law that would allow a swap of land between the city and the United Nations to move forward, DNAinfo reported yesterday, Albany cleared the way for […]
First NYC 20 MPH Zone to Slow Cars With Gateway Neckdowns, Speed Humps
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Last month DOT announced plans for the city’s first 20 mph zone, located in the Claremont section of the Bronx. The agency’s presentation to the local community board is now online [PDF], so you can see how DOT plans to implement the slow zone strategy in what could be the first of several neighborhoods. The […]
Yassky: Taxi Plan Will Reduce Car Ownership, Improve Safety
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Since Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced his plan to create a new class of taxis allowed to make street hails outside the Manhattan core, most of the coverage has focused on the potential effect on yellow cab medallion owners’ profits or livery drivers’ earnings. Less has been written about the broader effect such a plan would […]
Summer Streets 2011: Play Ball
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This August, Park Avenue will again be closed to motor vehicles for three Saturday mornings as part of the fourth annual Summer Streets event. The details are largely the same as in years past: The route will run for seven miles from 72nd Street south to Foley Square from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. When […]
New Signage to Guide Pedestrians in Four Neighborhoods
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Improved sidewalk signage and maps for pedestrians will be the latest addition to the streetscape by the Department of Transportation, which just released a request for proposals for a new wayfinding system in four neighborhoods. In Long Island City, Prospect Heights and Crown Heights, Chinatown, and Midtown, DOT hopes the new information will encourage more […]