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
Tonight: PBS on Transit, States, and the Stimulus
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Streetsbloggers will want to tune in to PBS tonight for the latest installment in the Blueprint America series. NOW will look at where all that stimulus cash is headed. Here’s the teaser: President Barack Obama’s stimulus money is nearly out the door and on its way to the states, but will it be spent in […]
Final Stimulus Bill Slaps Transit Riders in the Face
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The final tally is in, and we now have a breakdown for transportation funding in the stimulus bill that President Obama will sign, barring some unforeseen turn of the screw. Via Transportation for America: $29 billion for highways and bridges $8.4 billion for transit $8 billion for high-speed rail $1.3 billion for Amtrak To compare […]
Reports of Vélib’s Demise Greatly Exaggerated
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JCDecaux touted Vélib on the cover of its 2007 annual report [PDF]. If you’ve read this BBC story currently making the rounds, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Vélib, Paris’s wildly popular bike-share system, has suddenly been afflicted by an epidemic of theft and vandalism that threatens its very existence. Vélib bikes have been "torched," […]
Wiki Wednesday: The Story of the Stimulus
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Looks like the conference committee made quick work of the stimulus bill, with Harry Reid announcing that a deal has been reached much sooner than expected (perhaps a bit too prematurely). We’ll have the specifics on transportation funding later tonight or early tomorrow. For now, relive the stimulus saga with StreetsWiki. Contributor DianaD has added […]
Cartoon Tuesday: Two Steps Forward, Two Steps Back?
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Hat tip to David Alpert for this Tom Toles toon, which nails the disconnect between the brave green world we’re supposedly entering and the dramatic cutbacks plaguing transit systems across the country. Click through for the punchline (I kind of gave it away already). Toles’ transit system, the DC Metro, is on the verge of […]
Obama: The Days of “Building Sprawl Forever” Are Over
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Obama in Ft. Myers This is encouraging. On the stump in Fort Myers, Florida to campaign for the stimulus bill, President Obama took a detour from his well-worn "roads and bridges" infrastructure spiel to deliver some brief remarks on transit and land use. Obama’s answer came in response to a city council member who said […]
Senate Approves Stimulus Bill — On to Conference Committee
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The Senate approved its version of the stimulus bill this afternoon by a 61-37 vote. Attention now turns to conference committee negotiations, where differences between the House and Senate bills will get ironed out. Politico has the scoop on who will be negotiating on the Senate side, and they’re not exactly an urban bunch: Obama’s […]
Cartoon Tuesday: Political Suicide
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This word of warning from cartoonist Mike Luckovich to Republicans in Congress feels all the more timely on the heels of today’s action in the Senate. Click through for the punchline.
Streetfilms: Timing Streets for Cyclists, Pedestrians, and Everyone Else
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From the new San Francisco branch of Streetfilms, Janel Sterbentz takes a look at one of the city’s main bicycle routes — Valencia Street — and asks how it would function if signals were timed to give cyclists the "Green Wave" instead of cars. Cyclists would get a smoother ride and feel less compelled to […]
Nadler Amendment: The Ayes Have It
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The House just passed an amendment to add $3 billion for transit investment to the stimulus bill. There’s a lot more work coming up very soon — in the Senate and in conference committee — but this was a hard-fought win and everyone who helped push it through should take a minute to pat yourself […]
Call This Morning to Secure More Transit Money in Stimulus
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Last night Jerrold Nadler’s stimulus bill amendment, which would add $3 billion for transit, cleared the House Rules Committee. The full House may vote on the amendment by noon today, so the sooner you call your representative the better. Transportation for America sends along some key points to make in your phone call: In the […]
Call Now for a Better Transit Stimulus
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We’re at a critical moment for green transportation in the stimulus package. The key piece on the table now is Jerrold Nadler’s amendment to boost transit investment by $3 billion. A decision could be reached as soon as today, so now is the time to make those phone calls. The people to reach are the […]