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
Quinn, Garodnick, AAA Oppose FDNY Crash Fees at Public Hearing
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At a public hearing held by the Fire Department this morning, every person who testified spoke against charging a fee for FDNY response to traffic crashes, calling it inappropriate to make drivers pay for what they said ought to be a basic government function. The charges are part of the Bloomberg administration’s attempt to close […]
Cuomo Taps Joan McDonald to Run State DOT
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Joan McDonald will serve as the next commissioner of the state Department of Transportation, Governor Cuomo announced this morning (after the General Contractors Association spilled the beans in its own press release praising the pick). McDonald has a lengthy resume of government service in the Tri-State region. She is currently the commissioner of Connecticut’s Department […]
Enviros Lay Out Smart Growth Agenda For Cuomo Administration
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A coalition of environmental groups has lined up behind a smart growth agenda for New York State. Released by 12 organizations, the new memo lays out how Governor Cuomo and the state legislature can help New York use scarce public dollars more efficiently and sustainably when it comes to development. The coalition’s smart growth recommendations […]
Plenty of Authorities Fail State’s Transparency Test, But Not the MTA
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It might be naive to think that New York politicians will one day stop accusing the MTA of mismanagement, shady bookkeeping and a lack of transparency. Few have the integrity or willpower to resist such a highly visible and convenient punching bag. But under its current leadership, the MTA continues to show itself to be […]
City Crowdsourcing Tool Could Help Cyclists During Snowy Commutes
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The weather’s given New York City a lot of opportunities to experiment with new responses to snow in the wake of the post-Christmas blizzard. One potentially exciting new tool is a city attempt to crowdsource information about which streets are and aren’t clear of snow and ice. It could be a good resource for cyclists […]
Meet Cuomo’s Point Man on the MTA: Jim Malatras
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The Cuomo Administration’s transportation policy is still taking shape, but here’s a name to watch: Jim Malatras. As Cuomo’s new deputy secretary for policy management, Malatras will be a top advisor on all major transportation decisions, including how transit riders fare in the upcoming budget. “The Cuomo administration’s point man on MTA policy issues is […]
In Great Wal-Mart Debate, Will City Council Question Big-Box Development?
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Here comes Wal-Mart. The retail giant, the nation’s largest employer, has been eyeing the untapped New York City market for years. So far, opposition to Wal-Mart’s notorious labor record has kept the chain outside city limits, but a new push to establish a beachhead in the five boroughs is now underway. The likeliest site for […]
New NYC Park Design Guidelines Envision Greater Role for Biking and Walking
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A properly designed park must help promote cycling and walking, according to new city guidelines. “High Performance Landscape Guidelines: 21st Century Parks for NYC,” a new blueprint for the design, construction and maintenance of the city’s parks, puts forward a transportation vision with active modes at the center. The guidelines, a joint venture of the […]
Splinter Group of Senate Dems Want MTA Payroll Tax on Chopping Block
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The fate of the payroll mobility tax, which brings in $1.34 billion a year to the MTA, just grew a little shakier. The four members of the State Senate’s new Independent Democratic Conference, who split off from the minority Democrats last week, have come out with their agenda and included in it is a call […]
City Shows Off Plan to Reclaim Astor Place for Pedestrians [Updated]
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Plans to transform another asphalt tangle into a great public space are moving forward at Astor Place, and Curbed has the details. With significant street space being reclaimed for pedestrians, the plan should serve as a new gathering place in the East Village and make the neighborhood safer for walking. Here are a few of […]
MTA Finances Grow Even Shakier Under GOP House
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The assault on the MTA’s already battered finances could now come from yet another front: the federal government. The new Republican majority in the House of Representatives passed a rule Wednesday that would allow reductions in federal transportation spending, including investment in transit. That puts previously secure federal funds on the negotiating table, making it […]
Watch Your Wallet, Straphangers – It’s Budget Season In Albany
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With one month until a budget is due (admittedly not the strictest deadline in Albany), Andrew Cuomo and the state legislature have to close a deficit nearing $10 billion. Since Cuomo has ruled out any new taxes, he hasn’t left himself with many options. So there’s no doubt that further incursions on dedicated transit funds […]