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
LeBron James Bikes to Work “All the Time”
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This Twitter photo of LeBron James biking to American Airlines Arena before facing off against Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls last night has gone viral on sports news sites all over America. There are some interesting sociological currents swirling around LeBron James, bike commuter. While the photographer labeled James a “manchild” for taking to Miami’s none-too-friendly […]
Starting in 2012, Aaron Bialick Will Be Steering Streetsblog SF
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After receiving applications from many fine journalists, I’m pleased to announce that OpenPlans is hiring a new editor to manage Streetsblog San Francisco. Aaron Bialick will be taking the reins full-time starting on January 3, 2012. Aaron learned the journalism trade at the side of Streetsblog SF founding editor Bryan Goebel. Following Bryan’s departure, Aaron […]
Give This Week and Levi’s Commuter Jeans Could Be Yours
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I’m pleased to announce that thanks to an outpouring of support these past two weeks, Streetsblog and Streetfilms are more than halfway to our goal of raising $25,000 by the end of the year. If you haven’t given yet and you value the high-impact reporting and videos that we produce day in and day out, […]
Give to Streetsblog and Streetfilms and Enter to Win a Rickshaw Bag
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The year-end pledge drive for Streetsblog and Streetfilms is in full effect. Thanks to everyone who’s contributed so far to support high-impact news, commentary, and videos that make the case for safer streets and sustainable transportation. If you haven’t contributed yet, here’s a little extra incentive. Give between now and the end of the week, and you could […]
We’re Hiring: Cover the Bay Area Livable Streets Beat for Streetsblog
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OpenPlans is pleased to officially launch our search for the next journalist to lead Streetsblog San Francisco. Thanks to the craigslist Charitable Fund, the Seed Fund, Mike’s Bikes, and the generous contributions of many, many readers for supporting our work in the Bay Area. (And thanks to Aaron Bialick for holding down the fort while […]
What If Washington Never Built Metro?
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Rail~Volution 2011 marks the first time since 2002 that this conference for all things transit and smart growth has taken place in the nation’s capital. When it comes to livability, Washington and neighboring Arlington County have some great stories to share with the rest of the country. At the heart of the region’s success is, […]
Thank You, Bryan Goebel
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When you take a step back and look at the evolution of San Francisco’s streets, it is truly impressive how much has improved for pedestrians, cyclists, and the public realm since Bryan launched Streetsblog SF in 2009. Progress seldom happens as rapidly as we might like, especially when you’re taking on something as deeply entrenched […]
Got a Job Opening? Place Your Ad on the Streetsblog Jobs Board
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I’m pleased to announce that Streetsblog is adding a new service: the Streetsblog jobs board. If you have a job opening in the fields of urban planning, transportation engineering, or livable streets advocacy, you’ll reach a talented pool of people by placing the position on Streetsblog. Posting on Streetsblog gets the word out about your […]
ITDP: American Bus Rapid Transit Can Catch Up to the Rest of the World
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Attempts by U.S. cities to build Bus Rapid Transit systems tend to get stymied by a Catch-22: Most Americans have no experience riding great BRT, so mustering the political will to build full-fledged systems — and reallocate the necessary street space from cars to buses — is often fiendishly difficult. The results — incremental bus […]
Angie Schmitt Goes Toe-to-Toe With Northeast Ohio Sprawl Boosters
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Angie’s on sabbatical this week attending the Knight Digital Media Center’s News Entrepreneur Bootcamp in Los Angeles. To help tide you over until she gets back, here’s a clip from a northeast Ohio radio show she recently appeared on called “The Civic Commons.” Inspired by a post Angie put together a few weeks ago (headline: […]
Vote for Streetsblog
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Apologies for a little bit of self-promotion, but there are only about ten hours left to vote for Streetsblog in Treehugger’s Best-of-Green awards. We’re up for Best Transportation Website, and we stand out a little because Streetsblog is all about transit, biking, and walking, while the other worthy contenders are all largely about hybrid, electric, […]
Chuck Schumer: America Needs More Streets Like NY’s Prospect Park West
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Senator Chuck Schumer broke his long public silence on the redesigned Prospect Park West in New York City in dramatic fashion this morning, leading members of Congress on a two-wheeled tour of the physically separated bike lane that runs past his Brooklyn home. Schumer used the occasion to announce that he’ll be introducing new legislation […]