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
Introducing Our New Comment System
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You may have noticed something different about Streetsblog San Francisco’s comment system this morning. We’re doing an upgrade and introducing a commenting platform called Disqus, which we hope will enrich the conversation here and make it easier for you to connect with other readers. Disqus is a popular commenting platform and you’ve probably seen it […]
Video: Car-Free Play Streets in the UK
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A little weekend viewing from the west coast of England. Since the summer of 2009, neighbors in Bristol have organized “Playing Out” events on seven streets, setting aside car-free hours for kids to play in the street without constant parental supervision. Watching this video immediately brought to mind Clarence’s Streetfilm of the 78th Street play […]
If You Ever Want to Maim Someone With Your Car, Get a Job at Morgan Stanley
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In most of the United States, the general rule about harming people with automobiles goes like this: Stay at the scene, and if you’re sober, you probably won’t be looking at anything more substantial than a moving violation. Recent laws passed in Oregon, New York, and Delaware promise to hold motorists to a higher standard […]
Fred Barnes: Americans Mainly Want to Stay in Their Cars
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After yesterday’s electoral drubbing, the Obama administration will have to deal with a starkly different Congress when they make their expected push for a multi-year transportation bill early next year. We know that some influential House Republicans, like John Mica, don’t necessarily believe that bigger highways will solve America’s transportation problems. And we know that […]
Cities Are Doing it For Themselves (Especially New York)
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Between Chris Christie’s decision to wind down construction on the ARC tunnel and the fare-hiking aftereffects of Albany’s political malevolence/incompetence, it was a rough week for sustainable transportation in the New York City region. Governors and legislatures may call a lot of the shots when it comes to transportation policy, but thankfully not all of […]
Introducing Tanya Snyder, Streetsblog’s New National Reporter
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You may have noticed a new byline popping up on Streetsblog lately, and it’s time to finally make it official: We’re pleased to announce the arrival of Tanya Snyder as our new reporter tracking the national transportation policy beat. Before joining Streetsblog, Tanya covered Congress for Pacifica Radio’s Washington Bureau and for public radio stations […]
NYC Releases Landmark Ped Safety Study, Will Pilot 20 MPH Zones
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To make walking safer, New York City will re-engineer 60 miles of streets per year and pilot the use of neighborhood-scale 20 mph zones, the city’s top electeds and transportation officials announced this morning. The commitments are among several street safety measures unveiled today, accompanying NYCDOT’s release of a landmark report analyzing the causes of […]
Is Your Home Less Affordable Than You Think, or More?
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This spring, the Chicago-based Center for Neighborhood Technology made a big policy splash when they released the Housing and Transportation Affordability Index. CNT’s work — including a nifty mapping tool — made it easy to see that "affordable" housing wasn’t so affordable when it’s located in car-dependent areas that come saddled with high but underappreciated […]
Today Denverites Ride Public Bikes. Tomorrow They’ll Speak Esperanto.
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The Colorado governor’s race was always going to be one for sustainable transportation advocates to keep an eye on. The likely Democratic nominee, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, has built a solid resume of support for transit and bicycling. But recent events suggest the green transportation/livable streets stakes may be waaaaay higher than expected. Dan Maes: […]
Livable Communities Act Clears Senate Committee
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The Senate Banking Committee voted 12-10 yesterday in favor of the Livable Communities Act, legislation that would bolster the Obama administration’s initiatives to link together transportation, housing, economic development, and environmental policy. Shaun Donovan, Ray LaHood, Lisa Jackson: Together forever? The Livable Communities Act would codify the partnership between HUD, US DOT, and the EPA. […]
Why Isn’t Traffic Reduction a Top Public Health Concern?
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Earlier this week, Ken Archer at Greater Greater Washington posted this revealing graphic showing the relationship between the amount of driving we do in the United States and the death toll on our roads. Even as conventional traffic safety techniques have made driving less deadly, the rise in miles driven knocked back those improvements. It […]
On the 20th Anniversary of ADA, Too Many Streets Remain Inaccessible
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Yesterday marked the 20th anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act, the landmark law that set federal standards to make public places universally accessible. Two decades later, the ADA has improved access for millions, but in many places, the spirit of the law seems lost on those who shape the streets. To get a sense […]