Recent Streetsblog NYC posts about Livable Streets

Traffic: A Social Problem Not a Design Problem

By Aaron Naparstek | | 17 Comments
Before the commenters begin giving DOT its well-deserved pounding in response to my previous post, I offer this provocative excerpt from David Engwicht’s book, "Mental Speed Bumps: The Smarter Way to Tame Traffic." Let me be frank. Traffic is first and foremost a community problem and residents have no right expecting politicians, engineers and planning […]

If a 26.2-mile, Half-Day Street Closure Generates $188M…

By Biker H | | 1 Comment
Why not Close New York City’s Streets to Traffic More Often? Sunday was New York City’s 26.2-mile block party, a once-a-year occasion for residents and visitors alike to actually enjoy the city streets. A recently announced economic-impact study of the 2005 race calculated that the marathon–complete with participants and spectators from near and far, sponsors, charities, media, prize […]

Slow News Day?

By Aaron Naparstek | | 5 Comments
Apropos of I’m-not-sure-what, today’s New York Sun dedicates the majority of its op/ed page to an excerpt of my 2003 book, Honku: The Zen Antidote to Road Rage (an excellent holiday gift, I might add). Below are some excerpts from the Sun, including some excellent poems written by visitors to my web site, honku.org. The […]

San Fran Mayor Sets Ambitious Transportation Targets

By Aaron Naparstek | | 5 Comments
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom (pictured right) emphasized quality of life issues in his annual State of the City address last week. Most significant, Newsom put forward an ambitious transportation agenda and laid out specific targets for increasing bicycling and reducing automobile use: We will continue our long term planning to create a citywide bicycle network, […]

Life on Crutches in NYC

By Glenn McAnanama | | 8 Comments
For the last month, since I broke my ankle, New York has ceased to be the same place for me. At least in terms of getting around the city, the landscape has been dramatically transformed. Week 1 was spent in relative isolation at my parents house on Staten Island where they were nice enough to […]

Downtown Brooklyn Traffic Calming Project: Ten Years On

By Aaron Naparstek | | 5 Comments
March 1996: Residents in Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, and Boerum Hill are tired of their streets absorbing overflow from the nearby Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. Neighborhood groups have tried repeatedly to convince the City to protect the neighborhoods from rush hour through traffic. So far, the City has done nothing but promise further study. DOT […]
Show More Stories