Stephen Miller
In spring 2017, Stephen wrote for Streetsblog USA, covering the livable streets movement and transportation policy developments around the nation.
From August 2012 to October 2015, he was a reporter for Streetsblog NYC, covering livable streets and transportation issues in the city and the region. After joining Streetsblog, he covered the tail end of the Bloomberg administration and the launch of Citi Bike. Since then, he covered mayoral elections, the de Blasio administration's ongoing Vision Zero campaign, and New York City's ever-evolving street safety and livable streets movements.
Recent Posts
De Blasio Commits $250M to Overhaul Major Streets, But How Far Will It Go?
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Before a City Council transportation committee budget hearing this morning, the de Blasio administration announced its “Great Streets” initiative, which includes $250 million in capital funds to improve safety on Queens Boulevard, the Grand Concourse, Atlantic Avenue, and Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn. From 2009 to 2013, 34 pedestrians were killed and 215 seriously injured on these four […]
CB 12 Committee Puts Parking Over Safety in Vote on Uptown Bike Lanes
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DOT is proposing significant bicycle and pedestrian upgrades in Washington Heights, but the Manhattan Community Board 12 transportation committee wants to nibble away at a protected bike lane in the plan. The committee voted to support the DOT plan but with modifications that would shrink a proposed protected bike lane on Edgecombe Avenue to preserve […]
No Easy Answers at City Council Hearing on Trucks and Bike/Ped Safety
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Trucks pose an outsize danger on New York City streets. This afternoon, elected officials, agency staff, union representatives, and advocates tackled the issue at a City Council transportation committee hearing. DOT defines trucks as vehicles with two axles and six tires or vehicles with three or more axles. They comprise 3.6 percent of New York City’s […]
TA: Inconsistency Between Precincts Undermines NYPD Traffic Enforcement
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In the year since Mayor Bill de Blasio promised stepped-up traffic enforcement under Vision Zero, NYPD has moved in the right direction, according to a new report from Transportation Alternatives [PDF]. At the same time, enforcement varies dramatically from precinct to precinct, weakening overall deterrence. TA looked at data from last year and 2013, comparing […]
Manhattan CB 3 Asks DOT for Protected Bikeway on Chrystie Street
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In a unanimous 35-0 vote last night, Manhattan Community Board 3, which covers Chinatown and the Lower East Side, asked DOT to study a two-way protected bikeway for Chrystie Street, an important link to the Manhattan Bridge bike path. The vote follows months of dialogue between bike advocates and community groups, and comes on the […]
DOT’s Safety Plan for 21st Street in Astoria Leaves Everyone Wanting More
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A street safety plan for 21st Street in western Queens has left elected officials asking for more from DOT. The plan covers approximately two miles of 21st Street between the Queensboro Bridge and Triboro Bridge. In terms of safety, the street ranks in the bottom third of Queens’ roads. There were five fatalities on 21st […]
Report: All New NYC Garbage Trucks Should Have Life-Saving Side Guards
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Earlier this month, the city announced a pilot program to add side guards, which prevent people from being dragged under the rear wheels of large vehicles, to 240 trucks in the city fleet. It’s a start, but there are thousands more trucks on NYC streets that need this life-saving equipment. A new report from the U.S. […]
Tony Avella Finds It “Offensive” to Say the Truth About NYC’s Toll System
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In his quest to preserve free driving privileges over the Queensboro Bridge, State Senator Tony Avella seems to be having a hard time rounding up the old gang. Yesterday, Avella tried to pick a fight with Council Member Mark Weprin, a fellow legislator from northeast Queens who opposed the 2008 congestion pricing plan but backs the Move NY […]
De Blasio Defends Right-of-Way Law to Dimwits in Albany [Updated]
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Update [February 26]: The quote from the mayor has been updated to include his full response. At a hearing in Albany this morning, Mayor Bill de Blasio defended the new city law that enables police to file misdemeanor charges against drivers who injure or kill people with the right of way. He also shed some light on […]
De Blasio Team Gradually Beefing Up Its Parking Reform Proposals
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New York is one step closer to overhauling a discredited policy that drives up the cost of housing and makes traffic congestion worse, but the scope of the reforms the de Blasio administration is pursuing remains limited. Last week, the Department of City Planning came out with the broad strokes of a major update to […]
Bushwick Residents to DOT: More Bike Lanes, Please
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Dozens of Bushwick residents came out in the cold last night to suggest where to add bike lanes to their neighborhood. Currently Bushwick only has a pair of painted bike lanes on Central Avenue and Evergreen Avenue, plus some sharrows linking to bike lanes in Bed-Stuy. “There was a good turnout from long-time residents, from […]
Pedestrian Deaths Have Fallen in Every Borough Except Staten Island
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DOT released the final installment of its pedestrian safety plans yesterday with a report for Staten Island [PDF], where the nature of pedestrian crashes is different than in the other boroughs. Over the past three decades, the city as a whole grew approximately 19 percent while the number of pedestrian fatalities was cut in half. On Staten Island, […]