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
“Boulevard 41” Poised to Reclaim Space for People Near Bryant Park
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A crowded Midtown block could get more space for people and plantings if adjacent property owners decide to foot the bill. The local business improvement district, the Bryant Park Corporation, wants to convert the curbside lanes of 41st Street between Sixth Avenue and Broadway into a pedestrian seating zone as part of proposal it’s calling […]
Ex-MTA Chiefs: Fund the Capital Plan, Don’t Gamble With the Transit System
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With the election over and Albany in session, the time for tiptoeing around the $15.2 billion gap in the MTA’s next five-year capital program is over. Today, three former MTA chiefs lined up to say that, one way or another, the plan must be fully funded. “The governor, the legislature, and the mayor must do the […]
Take a Look and Vote on the New Proposals for a Car-Free 42nd Street
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For nearly 15 years, a group of architects and planners who go under the banner of Vision42 have advocated for a car-free 42nd Street with light rail and expanded pedestrian space [PDF]. Hoping to catch the interest of the de Blasio administration, last spring the group launched a competition seeking conceptual designs for a re-imagined 42nd Street. Now the […]
Bus Lanes Worked Wonders on East 125th. Now What About the West Side?
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Since debuting last year, Select Bus Service on 125th Street has dramatically improved transit speeds, especially on the section with dedicated bus lanes east of Lenox Avenue, according to NYC DOT and the MTA. The results strengthen the case for adding bus lanes west of Lenox, which DOT had scuttled in 2013 in response to resistance […]
Families of Traffic Violence Victims Demand Justice From District Attorneys
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Braving the cold, more than 150 people gathered on the steps of City Hall yesterday to demand that New York City’s five district attorneys begin filing charges against reckless drivers who kill and injure New Yorkers on the streets. “The five New York City district attorneys have failed to do their job,” said Amy Cohen, […]
DOT Proposes Riverside Drive Traffic Calming, But Not Bike Lanes
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Last night, DOT presented a plan to the Manhattan Community Board 9 transportation committee that would bring pedestrian safety improvements and a road diet to Riverside Drive, but DOT is proposing no bike lanes for the popular cycling route [PDF]. The plan for Riverside Drive stretches from 116th to 135th Streets, which ranks in the […]
NYPD Work Slowdown Shows How Much Rank-and-File Care About Vision Zero
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For at least two weeks, the number of summonses issued and arrests made by police officers across the city has dropped precipitously. For victimless offenses like drinking alcohol in public, the decline in ticketing may serve as an interesting natural experiment in whether “broken windows” policing is really effective. But for motor vehicle violations like […]
Victims’ Families Demand Changes From DMV at Vigil for Allison Liao
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Undeterred by the cold, nearly 100 people gathered at the corner of Main Street and Cherry Avenue in Flushing last night to remember 3-year-old Allison Liao, killed by a driver in October 2013. State DMV administrative judges had already dismissed the two tickets issued to the driver, 44-year-old Ahmad Abu-Zayedeh, before putting off a judgment at a special […]
Stuck in the Middle: When Transit-Dependent Communities Lack Good Transit
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New Yorkers who live close to the center of town are mostly affluent and have great transit options connecting them to a wealth of job opportunities. On the edges of town, people are not quite as well-off, and most can get to work by driving their own cars. In between are the least affluent neighborhoods, […]
2014 Was an Improvement for NYC Street Safety, Not a Breakthrough
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Last week, City Hall came out with the preliminary total for NYC traffic deaths in 2014. Pedestrian fatalities reached an all-time low and overall traffic deaths may have too, indicating that the de Blasio administration’s street safety policies made an impact in the first year of its Vision Zero initiative. With at least 248 lives lost, however, […]
With Opening at DMV, Cuomo Has Opportunity to Lead on Street Safety
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With the retirement of Barbara Fiala, the top position at the Department of Motor Vehicles is vacant, giving Governor Andrew Cuomo an opportunity to appoint someone who will use the state’s oversight of driver education, training, and licensing to improve street safety and prevent traffic deaths. Fiala, 70, is a Democrat who served as Broome County […]
Life-Saving Truck Design Fix Sidelined By Federal Inaction
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This is the second post in a series about safety features for large vehicles. Part one examined the case for truck side guards and New York City’s attempt to require them for its fleet. American cities are beginning to take the lead on requiring side guards on large trucks in municipal fleets. That’s a good […]