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
Citi Bike 2.0: New Owners Hire Jay Walder and Promise Major Expansion
| | 45 Comments
It’s official: Alta Bicycle Share, the company that runs Citi Bike, has a new owner, an infusion of cash, and a fresh face at the top — longtime transit executive Jay Walder. At a press conference this afternoon, the new team promised to correct Citi Bike’s blunders and double the system’s size by the end […]
NYPD Training Precinct Cops to Charge Drivers Who Violate Right of Way Law
| | 33 Comments
All 35,000 of New York City’s uniformed police officers will be trained to file charges against drivers who violate the new Right of Way Law, according to NYPD Chief of Transportation Thomas Chan. The law, also known as Section 19-190, established misdemeanor penalties for drivers who strike and injure pedestrians or cyclists with the right […]
De Blasio Signs 25 MPH Legislation, Promises More NYPD Bike Enforcement
| | 51 Comments
It’s official. This morning, Mayor Bill de Blasio, surrounded by administration appointees, elected officials from the City Council and state legislature, and families of traffic violence victims, signed legislation that lowers New York City’s default speed limit to 25 mph. The law takes effect November 7. Before the bill signing, de Blasio crossed Delancey Street near where […]
Quorum or No, Astoria’s CB 1 Votes Against Three Livable Streets Projects
| | 69 Comments
Astoria’s Community Board 1 rejected three livable streets projects Tuesday night, despite questions about whether the board even had enough members in attendance to take votes on the proposals. The three projects — a short bus lane on Astoria Boulevard, concrete barriers to protect cyclists on Vernon Boulevard, and a bike corral in front of […]
Citizens Budget Commission: MTA Capital Program Must Change Course
| | 1 Comment
The fight over how to fund the MTA’s next capital plan is just starting to heat up, with worries over disappearing federal dollars, ever-expanding debt, and proposals for new revenue sources. Before the funding discussion gets going in earnest, a new report from the Citizens Budget Commission [PDF] begs the region’s transportation policymakers to take a […]
New Data Reveal Which City Agency Is Running Over the Most Pedestrians
| | 6 Comments
Over the past eight years, there have been more than 1,200 personal injury claims against the city involving pedestrians injured or killed by drivers of city vehicles, including 22 pedestrian deaths, according to a new report and interactive map from Comptroller Scott M. Stringer [PDF]. Over the same period, the city paid $88 million for pedestrian […]
Eyes on the Street: Why Pedestrian Islands Belong at More NYC Intersections
| | 25 Comments
Here’s a reminder of why the city can’t roll out street design changes fast enough. Last night, a driver turning left through the crosswalk from West 97th Street to West End Avenue struck a bollard on a pedestrian island that had been installed just days before. According to West Side Rag, the woman told police that she did […]
Alleged Drunk Driver Crashes, Flips Parked Car Onto Sunnyside Sidewalk
| | 1 Comment
Last night, shortly after midnight, a driver crashed into six parked cars in Woodside, Queens, flipping one of the vehicles onto the sidewalk. His vehicle thrust to the opposite sidewalk on 51st Street between Skillman and 39th Avenues, the driver then revved the engine in an unsuccessful attempt to flee before exiting the vehicle. Soon […]
DiNapoli: If Cuomo Borrows More for the MTA, Get Ready for Fat Fare Hikes
| | 13 Comments
Without a commitment from the state to close the $15.2 billion gap in the MTA’s capital program, the cost of a MetroCard is likely to spike as the MTA adds to its cumbersome debt load, according to a new report from Comptroller Tom DiNapoli [PDF]. The warning comes as Governor Andrew Cuomo and the legislature […]
Council Members Line Up in Support of Woodhaven Bus Rapid Transit
| | 14 Comments
Council Member Donovan Richards stood on the steps of City Hall this morning, asking DOT to move ahead with full-fledged Bus Rapid Transit on Woodhaven Boulevard and Cross Bay Boulevard. Six other Queens council members have joined Richards on a letter to DOT and the MTA asking for center-running bus lanes, station-like bus shelters, and […]
De Blasio Signs Transit Benefit Bill, Says 25 MPH Limit Will Save Lives
| | 6 Comments
This afternoon, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed legislation requiring companies with 20 or more full-time employees in New York City to offer the federal transit tax benefit to their workers. The measure, which takes effect in 2016, is expected to save employers and workers millions of dollars each year. He also held a hearing on […]
Trottenberg: Federal Cuts Could Make MTA Funding Gap Even Bigger
| | 1 Comment
Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg said today that the MTA is making “optimistic assumptions” about federal funding as it plans its next five-year capital program. The agency has identified only half the funds to cover the projected costs of the plan, which maintains, upgrades, and expands the transit system. At a panel with top-level city agency […]