Brad Aaron
Brad Aaron began writing for Streetsblog in 2007, after years as a reporter, editor, and publisher in the alternative weekly business. Brad adopted New York's dysfunctional traffic justice system as his primary beat for Streetsblog. He lives in Manhattan.
Recent Posts
Ad Nauseam: Auto Zone, or Twilight Zone?
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This Auto Zone ad is one for the ages. The dark ages. A young guy, who looks all of 17, is riding his bike down a rural dirt road when he comes upon an abandoned mid-1970s Ford Torino. A sign on the window reads, "if you can fix her you can have her." The kid […]
Georgia Governor Comes Around on Commuter Rail
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Display of Georgia progress at the Welcome Center on I-85, near the South Carolina border Big news out of Georgia. Governor Sonny Perdue, who in the past would have been about as likely to advocate for transit as to take his iced tea without sugar, is suddenly interested in commuter rail links between Atlanta and […]
Use Your Illusion II: Virtual Speed Humps Coming to Philly
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Desperate times call for desperate measures. As part of a city-wide campaign to reduce speeding, Philadelphia is marking 100 intersections with painted-on faux speed humps, like the ones pictured above. Britain’s Telegraph reports: "The goal is to change the mindset," said Philadelphia’s chief traffic engineer Charles Denny. "The driver sees this in the roadway, and […]
Streetfilms: Depaving Day in Portland
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Our coverage of the Toward Carfree Cities conference continues with this Streetfilm from Elizabeth Press, who brings us a unique public service project. Hundreds of conference participants helped break and remove asphalt from a 3,000 square foot parking lot. Depave.org is the mastermind behind the Fargo Garden Project. They promote the removal of unnecessary concrete […]
Carfree Cities Conference Kicks Off in Portland
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The World Carfree Network’s Towards Carfree Cities conference is underway in Portland, Oregon this week. Now in its eight year, it’s the first time the event has come to North America. Streetsblog EIC Aaron Naparstek made the trip, along with others from The Open Planning Project Livable Streets crew. TOPP’s Nick Grossman is live-blogging the […]
Cartoon Tuesday: Roadside Graffiti Edition
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Not exactly Errol Morris, we know, but the sentiment is there. Photographer unknown
Regions Bank: Cycling Will Set You Free
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Looks like we have a contender for Livable Streets Ad Campaign of the Year, courtesy of the Alabama-based Regions bank chain. In this spot, which debuted last year as part of Regions’ ongoing "Expect More" series, a thirty-something woman is walking down a city sidewalk when she approaches a bright green bike. An older […]
Defying Media Spin, Poll Shows Public Support for Delhi BRT
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A couple of weeks ago we wrote about how the new bus rapid transit system in Delhi, India was taking a drubbing from local media. Despite the fact that buses were packed with commuters following the launch of the pilot program, newspaper and TV reporters were quick to proclaim it a failure. But a recent […]
Happy Memorial Day Weekend
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Memorial Day 2007 fun on the GWB. For maximum verisimilitude, replay ad infinitum. Biting commentary on the D.C. dog and pony show isn’t just for Streetsblog anymore. The New York Times’ David M. Herszenhorn has a not-so-subtle indictment of this week’s Congressional hearings on gasoline prices, where slippery oil executives were lined up before […]
Portland Elects Cyclist Mayor; Obama Draws 8K Supporters on Bikes
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On Tuesday, voters in Portland, Oregon elected Sam Adams as their next mayor. A former Congressional staffer and current Portland city commissioner, Adams — who is a cyclist — ran on a platform that emphasized environmental and progressive growth initiatives, including, in the words of the Oregonian, "use [of] the Portland Streetcar and better planning […]
Streetfilms: The Diverter
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From Streetfilms’ animation division comes the third installment of traffic-calming shorts from Elizabeth Press. First she brought you chicanes, then the raised crosswalk. Now comes the diverter, which Elizabeth explains like so: Diagonal diverters, half closures, entrance barriers, median barriers, semi-diverters; traffic calming techniques come in all shapes and sizes. They can help create more […]