Ben Fried started as a Streetsblog reporter in 2008 and led the site as editor-in-chief from 2010 to 2018. He lives in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn, with his wife.
Ben Fried
Recent Posts
Back to the Grid, Part 2: John Norquist on Reclaiming American Cities
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Brady Street, which boasts some of the best street life in Milwaukee, has flourished thanks to the defeat of a nearby freeway spur and the redevelopment that followed. As mayor of Milwaukee from 1988 to 2004, CNU President John Norquist made urbanism and livability top priorities. Some of his most notable achievements centered on the […]
Back to the Grid: John Norquist on How to Fix National Transpo Policy
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How can federal policy encourage walkable street networks instead of highways and sprawl? Image: CNU The news coming out of Washington last week jacked up expectations for national transportation policy to new heights. Cabinet members Ray LaHood and Shaun Donovan announced a partnership to connect transportation and housing policy, branded as the "Sustainable Communities Initiative." […]
AARP Joins Campaign to Reform National Transportation Policy
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Photo: AARP AARP announced today that it will join the Transportation for America campaign to advocate for a "broad restructuring" of national transportation policy. In a letter sent to Congressional leaders last week [PDF], AARP said that it is "working to enable older adults to live independently in their homes and communities throughout their lifespan, […]
LaHood to Bike Advocates: U.S. DOT Will Be Your “Full Partner”
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BikePortland‘s Jonathan Maus is in D.C. today for the National Bike Summit, where Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood gave the opening address this morning. From Maus’s recap: Photo: Jonathan Maus At the outset of his remarks, he said, “I want all of you to know you have a full partner at the US DOT in working […]
Tonight: PBS on Transit, States, and the Stimulus
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Streetsbloggers will want to tune in to PBS tonight for the latest installment in the Blueprint America series. At 11pm (on KQED in San Francisco), NOW will look at where all that stimulus cash is headed. Here’s the teaser: President Barack Obama’s stimulus money is nearly out the door and on its way to the […]
Schumer Proposes $6.5B More for Transit in Senate Stim Bill
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Senator Chuck Schumer has unveiled an amendment to the Senate stimulus bill that would increase transit funding by $6.5 billion — to $14.9 billion overall. This would direct $2.9 billion more to transit, in total, than the House stimulus bill that passed last week. For the wonks out there, transit funding would break down like […]
Nadler Amendment: The Ayes Have It
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The House just passed Jerrold Nadler’s amendment to add $3 billion for transit investment to the stimulus bill. There’s a lot more work coming up very soon — in the Senate and in conference committee — but this was a hard-fought win and everyone who helped push it through should take a minute to pat […]
San Francisco Moves Forward With Congestion-Busting Parking Reform
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San Francisco’s Municipal Transportation Agency gave the go-ahead Tuesday to curbside parking reform that will encompass a quarter of the metered spaces in the city — about 6,000 spots. Under the 18-month pilot, called SFpark, the agency will vary prices for on-street parking and city-owned lots based on demand, intending to reduce unnecessary car trips […]