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
TSTC to Cuomo: Complete Streets Save Lives
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Despite streets that remain far too dangerous for walking — 3,485 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes during the past decade in the New York metro area alone — efforts to pass a complete streets bill are still stalled in the state legislature. The legislation, which would require all street projects that receive state and […]
If Cuomo Fires Chris Ward, NY and NJ Will Lose a Proven Leader
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Chris Ward may only have a few months left as executive director of the Port Authority. According to a report in the New York Post, Andrew Cuomo intends to replace the Paterson appointee this fall, once the ceremonies marking the tenth anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks have passed. Ward has been widely lauded […]
Transit Lockbox Picks Up Five Sponsors After Advos Make Their Case in Albany
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Efforts to protect dedicated transit funds from Albany budget raids moved forward on Tuesday as a coalition of transportation advocates went to the state capitol to lobby for transit riders. The transit lockbox bill immediately picked up five sponsors, and more seem poised to sign on. Advocates from the Straphangers Campaign, Transportation Alternatives, the Tri-State […]
In Effort to Pander to Drivers, 48 Senators Vote to Up Oil Company Profits
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The New York State Senate voted for a “gas tax holiday” yesterday, moving to eliminate the three state taxes on fuel for the busy Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day weekends this year. The estimated loss of revenue would be $60 million. The 48 state senators who voted for the gas tax holiday wanted […]
New York’s Walkable Streets Not Safe Enough For Everyone Who Walks
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Compared to other American regions, the New York metro area is, by and large, a safe place to walk. Only two large metros, Boston and Cleveland, perform better on Transportation for America’s pedestrian danger index, as described in the new report, “Dangerous By Design,” which Tanya covered earlier today on Streetsblog Capitol Hill. The index […]
Albany Update: Will Any Transpo Bills Make It Out Alive?
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This year’s legislative session is rapidly coming to a close in Albany. With the state legislature wrapping up its regularly scheduled official business on June 20, the Capitol is entering a period of intense activity as legislators and lobbyists make a final push for their priorities. Albany has some big items on its agenda this […]
Bronx Teenagers Continue Two-Year Fight For Pedestrian Safety
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Two years ago, the Bronx Helpers decided to take action about a dangerous intersection in their neighborhood. The team of middle and high-schoolers, participants in a community service group run by the New Settlement Apartments, routinely crossed the street at 172nd and Townsend. They all could recount traffic crashes they’d seen at the corner, with […]
Health Dept: New Yorkers Get Their Exercise By Getting Around Town
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The New York City Department of Health is out with a new bulletin [PDF] articulating the public health benefits of walking, biking, and taking transit. Encouraging those modes — and curbing the amount we drive — will reduce deaths and injuries from traffic crashes, prevent lung disease by lowering exposure to air pollution, and improve […]
Queens CB2 Asks, “Where’s the Bike Lane?” And DOT Adds One to LIC Plan
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When DOT presented plans for traffic calming along Long Island City’s 44th Drive in March, the department chose to put the four lane street on a road diet, using some of the reallocated space for a painted median. That still left enough space in the extra-wide parking lanes for a bike lane, however, a fact […]
Eyes on the Street: Second Crash in Three Days at Columbus Ave. Corner
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On Tuesday evening, a van driver headed east on 72nd Street jumped the curb at Columbus Avenue and crashed into a light pole. Last night, a driver jumped another car at the same intersection, ending up with a front wheel perched on its mangled hood. Reader Liz Patek sent in the shot above. Something about […]
Top Traffic Cops Promise Pedestrians-First Enforcement at West Side Forum
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Top NYPD brass expressed surprise at West Side residents’ unhappiness with the department’s traffic enforcement policies and vowed to do better at a meeting of Manhattan CB 4’s transportation committee last night. They also announced a new citywide “pedestrians first” policy for the department. Four officers attended the CB 4 meeting, according to committee co-chair […]
With One Month Left In Session, Advocates Push For Transit Funding Lockbox
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Momentum is growing in the push to protect dedicated MTA funds from Albany’s predations, but with only one month left in the legislative session, time is ticking. Assembly Member Jim Brennan and Senator Marty Golden, the bipartisan sponsors of the transit funding lockbox bill, stood today with a broad coalition of transit advocates in the […]