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
Picturing a Car-Free Seine: The New Vision for the Paris Waterfront
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The new plan for the Seine’s left bank will transform space for highways and parking into space for people. The area outside the Musee D’Orsay will host outdoor film screenings. Image: City of Paris. A few weeks ago, Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoë announced a plan to transform his city’s waterfront, closing 1.2 miles of expressway […]
Getting to Know Stephen Goldsmith, NYC’s New Deputy Mayor
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New York’s new deputy mayor for operations, Stephen Goldsmith. Photo: AP. As the new deputy mayor for operations, Stephen Goldsmith will soon be responsible for a portfolio of about a dozen city agencies, including NYCDOT, the NYPD, and the Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability. To a certain extent, the livable streets agenda will go […]
Advocates: New Parking Requirements Make Housing More Expensive
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Reforming New York City parking policy is a critical component of reducing automobile use and building better public spaces. It’s becoming increasingly clear that rethinking how we store cars can help address New York City’s housing crisis as well. Requiring parking not only creates traffic, it also prevents housing from being built and drives up […]
Cyclist Injuries Continue to Fall, Even as More New Yorkers Ride
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Cyclist injuries and fatalities continue to drop in New York City while riding increases dramatically. Source: Transportation Alternatives New York City’s streets are safer than ever for cyclists, according to new information gathered by Transportation Alternatives. Injury and fatality data from the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles show a continued decline in the number of […]
Schaller: Road Pricing Won’t Fly Without Driver Support
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Road pricing won’t ease this BQE traffic jam unless drivers want it to, says Bruce Schaller. Image: photoAtlas via Flickr. Road pricing isn’t going to happen unless drivers want it to, writes Bruce Schaller, one of the architects of New York’s congestion pricing push. That’s the central conclusion of a new paper Schaller penned for […]
City Planning Promotes Car-Sharing, But Will It Reduce Driving?
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Car-sharing is already a part of New York’s transportation system, but new DCP regulations could allow it to spread much faster. Graphic: WSJ Last week the Department of City Planning announced an initiative to promote car-sharing in New York City. The new zoning amendments remove some of the uncertainty for car-share companies by spelling out […]
Dysfunction Rules at CB 6 Discussion of Select Bus Service
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Manhattan CB 6 could have used this reminder of who actually uses 34th Street. Graphic: NYCDOT Last night’s meeting of Manhattan Community Board 6’s transportation committee was a reminder of how opaque and undemocratic New York City’s public review process can be, at its worst. Between a mismanaged meeting that descended into chaos and a parade […]
Kruger Challenger Igor Oberman Campaigns on Support for Transit
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Igor Oberman hands out literature touting his support for transit and bridge tolls at the Kings Highway station this morning. Photo: Noah Kazis. The primaries are only four months away, and election season is starting to heat up in New York. All signs point to strong anti-incumbent sentiment among voters, with several entrenched legislators facing […]
Brooklyn CB 1, CM Levin, Beep All Demand Less Parking at New Domino
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In an unusual turn of events, two Brooklyn politicians and one community board are pushing for less off-street parking at the New Domino development proposed for the Williamsburg waterfront. City Council Member Steve Levin and Borough President Marty Markowitz have recently bolstered a resolution from CB 1 calling for hundreds of fewer parking spaces. A […]
Former NYPD Transportation Chief Supports Open Traffic Safety Data
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Former NYPD Chief of Transportation Michael Scagnelli. Photo: New York Post. In yesterday’s story about Intro 120, the City Council bill to make some of NYPD’s traffic safety data available to the public, we noted that former Chief of Transportation Michael Scagnelli submitted written testimony in favor of the bill, countering resistance from his successor […]
Bill to Release Street Safety Data Gains Steam Over NYPD Objections
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Legislation that would compel the NYPD to open some of its traffic safety data to the public got a big boost today, when City Council public safety committee chair Peter Vallone Jr. announced his support at a hearing on the bill. The hearing was marked by a tense confrontation between council members and police officials […]
DOT Unveils Union Square Upgrades to Manhattan CB 5
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NYCDOT’s plans for Union Square would add pedestrian plazas and better bike facilities on Broadway and 17th Street. Image: NYCDOT. For a larger version, click here. Last night NYCDOT showed plans for a package of safety upgrades and public space improvements for Union Square [PDF] to Manhattan Community Board 5’s transportation committee. Under the plan, […]