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
Beam Me Across the Street, Scotty
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From online mag Yanko Design comes a wacked out concept in pedestrian safety: The Virtual Wall provides a barrier made up of plasma laser beams depicting pedestrians doing what they do best and any car that crosses that barrier suffers the consequences. Okay so maybe those lasers aren’t powerful enough to do any harm but […]
How Happy Are Parisians With Vélib?
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The latest figures from the Paris Vélib bike sharing program are in. User stats and survey results are posted on the official web site, but for those who don’t parlez Français, here’s a summary: Rides to date: 20 million Average trips/day: 70,000 Average trip time: 18 minutes 190,000 annual pass holders 42% of users are […]
Clinton Camp May Rethink Gas Tax Strategy
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With a big loss in North Carolina and a razor-thin victory in Indiana, the Times reports that Senator Hillary Clinton’s advisers are expected to reconsider her campaign strategy for upcoming Democratic primaries — specifically, whether to continue pushing for a federal gas tax cut. Clinton advisers also said that the candidates and her team would […]
Melbourne: A Pedestrian Paradise
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Streetfilms’ Clarence Eckerson recently made the journey to Melbourne, Australia, where he found a "new world city" redesigned for people-oriented development and mobility. Writes Clarence: Melbourne is simply wonderful. You can get lost in the nooks and crannies that permeate the city. As you walk you feel like free-flowing air with no impediments to your […]
New London Mayor Talks Up Buses and Bikes
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Here’s an interview from last year with London Mayor Boris Johnson, who ousted Ken Livingstone last week. It’s pretty remarkable in that Johnson spends the first eight minutes talking about buses and bikes.
Obama Dismisses Gas Tax “Gimmick”
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With primaries in North Carolina and Indiana less than a week out, Barack Obama seems to have taken Streetsbloggers’ advice with this ad explaining why a suspension of the federal gas tax, as called for by Hillary Clinton and John McCain (among others), is a sham. It’s a masterful spot: the swelling orchestral score, the […]
Americans Turn to Prayer at the Pump
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As this country goes bonkers over $4-per-gallon gasoline, it would seem a good time for a sober discussion about our near-total dependence on one unsustainable mode of transport. But as modern Americans, we generally prefer whining to introspection. And when whining doesn’t work, well, there’s always prayer. Enter Rocky Twyman, a choir director and PR […]
Streetfilm: Grading Your Bike Locks, Part II
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Here’s some levity for a dreary Monday. Following up on a video from 2003, Streetfilms’ Clarence Eckerson recently took to the streets with bike mechanic Hal Ruzal of Bicycle Habitat, checking up on how effective city cyclists are in securing their rigs. Writes Clarence: As with most sequels you need a new wrinkle. This […]
Macy’s: Leave the Car at Home
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J. Crew and W Hotels aren’t the only companies to promote cycling as of late. As part of its "Earth Week" campaign, Macy’s is running the above ad in local papers. Reads the copy: Leave the car at home. Ride a bike or walk to work if you can. Discover your own route. Now […]
Automated Underground Bike Parking in Tokyo
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From Japan Probe via Gizmodo comes this video of an automated underground bike garage at a Tokyo commuter train station. For a single-use fee of 100 yen (about $1) or 1,800 yen for a monthly pass, customers roll their bikes onto a platform and use a control panel to have them whisked away to […]
Progressive to Offer “Pay As You Drive” Insurance
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While other insurance companies belittle those who can’t or don’t drive, another — Progressive — is living up to its name by being the first major US insurer to offer a "Pay As You Drive" policy, allowing customers who drive less to pay less for coverage. As explained in a New York Times "Freakonomics" […]
Can There Ever Be Too Many Bikes?
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Submitted by Eric Britton: Here’s a thought experiment for you. If you and I hate to see lots of parked cars dumped on city streets for which we have other and a lot better uses, should we love it when we see lots of parked bikes? Or might that be a sign of some […]