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
BYO Bike Lanes Coming Soon
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Via Gizmodo: A laser device that allows cyclists to project their own bike lanes has gone from cool idea to prototype. Positive reponse to the concept from Alex Tee and Evan Gant of Altitude Inc. was significant enough to put LightLane into production. See the beta version in action above. Thoughts?
We Are the World
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Fallout continues in the wake of last Friday’s narrow passage of the Waxman-Markey climate bill, otherwise known as the American Clean Energy and Security Act, in the House of Representatives. Paul Krugman can’t believe 212 reps voted against it, while Matthew Yglesias points to a conservative faction that has branded eight Republicans who helped pass […]
In New York, Riders Are Indifferent to State of NYCMTA
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It’s the largest transit system in the United States, moving millions of people daily throughout New York City and beyond and serving as the lifeblood of one of the largest economies in the world. Unfortunately, writes Streetsblog Network member Benjamin Kabak on Second Avenue Sagas, those who depend on the MTA — and those whom […]
Nate Silver: Is American Car Culture on the Skids?
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Nate Silver, the stat-mining fortune teller behind FiveThirtyEight.com, has written a piece for Esquire suggesting that Americans may be weaning themselves off their collective auto addiction. Falling gas prices aside, driving has been on the decline since late 2007, Silver notes. Taking factors like population and unemployment into account, he wonders: Could it be that […]
Cartoon Tuesday: Park-N-Abandon
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Today’s toon combo comes to us via the Times’ By Design blog, where Allison Arieff has posted a paean to Steven M. Johnson, an inventor, author, cartoonist and former urban planner described by Arieff as "a sort of R. Crumb meets R. Buckminster Fuller." Many of Johnson’s "whimsical musings" are transportation related, and at least […]
Is the Obama Administration Poised to Push Transit?
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While President Barack Obama promoted wind power and cap-and-trade legislation, VP Joe Biden spent Earth Day talking up transit. Public radio’s "The Takeaway" reports that Biden held a presser at a bus maintenance facility in Landover, Maryland, to tout a $300 million investment in hybrid buses and other municipal vehicles as part of the federal […]
Streetsblog or Copenhagen…Who’s Greener
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When it comes to promoting environmentally sound transportation, is Streetsblog better than a Prius? If you think so, cast your vote for the Livable Streets Initiative in the Treehugger "Best of Green" contest. There are 17 entries in the "Cars and Transportation" category, ranging from "Best City for Public Transit" (Bogota) to "Best Freight Shipping […]
Cartoon Tuesday: Don’t Walk(?)
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If you’re in need of a little comic relief today, try this seemingly subversive pro-jaywalking message from the Muppets.
New Video Series Tells the Story of Sprawl
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As livable streets advocates work to make headway in breaking the cycle of American auto dependence, the folks at Planetizen have put together a video narrative that explains how we got here. "The Story of Sprawl," a double DVD set produced by Managing Editor Tim Halbur, is a compilation of historical films dating from 1939 […]
“Do as We Say, Not as We Do” = No Model for Sustainability
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Traffic in Delhi and Atlanta. Notice which scene also includes bikes. Photos: Ri Co Fo To and silvrayn via Flickr Environmentally-conscious citizens of India aren’t alone in their concern about the rollout of the Tata Nano, the "world’s cheapest car." But in an op-ed piece for Forbes, Projjal Dutta, the director of sustainability initiatives for […]
Freakonomics Ponders the Freeloading Cyclist
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Who’s next? Photo: wodaking/Flickr The New York Times’ Freakonomics blog has picked up on proposed legislation from Wayne Krieger, an Oregon representative who wants every bike owner in the state aged 18 and older to pay a $54 registration fee every two years. "[B]ikes have used the roads in this state forever and have never […]
Cycling News Photographer Catches Drivers in the Act
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Wisconsin’s Jeff Frings is an avid bike rider. He’s also a photographer for Milwaukee’s Fox 6, which may be why this report is among the most fair and balanced we’ve seen on cyclists’ right to the road. Like many if not most cyclists, Frings has had his share of run-ins with space-hogging drivers. Unlike most, […]