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
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 […]
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 […]
Streetsblog Looking for a Capitol Hill Reporter
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Editor’s note: Our search for a national reporter to take over Streetsblog Capitol Hill wouldn’t be complete without putting out a call to the audience with the greatest passion for livable streets and sustainable transportation policy — our readers. We are looking for a talented professional journalist, eager to make an impact, to take over […]
Ohio DOT Can’t Fathom Bike-Ped Access on Downtown Cleveland Bridge
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Ohio DOT says this concept drawing of a bike-ped path on the Innerbelt Bridge does not convey a realistic expectation. Image: GreenCityBlueLake We’ve got an update today on a storyline we’ve been following for months: The Ohio Department of Transportation’s refusal to build a path for biking and walking when they replace Cleveland’s I-90 Innerbelt […]
Yes, You Can Move the Needle on Public Support for a Gas Tax Hike
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Public support for increasing the federal gas tax rises if revenues will be spent to combat global warming. Graphic: Mineta Transportation Institute Last week, USA Today reported rather gleefully that the U.S. gas tax has never been lower. Having remained unchanged at 18.4 cents per gallon since 1993, American drivers are now paying half as […]
Federal Bike-Ped Funding Sets New High, With Much More Room to Grow
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Graph: FHWA [PDF] Federal funding for pedestrian and bicycle projects reached a new high last year, according to a report released yesterday by the Federal Highway Administration. In terms of dollars, federal investment in walking and biking more than doubled compared to the previous high, set in 2007, thanks largely to an infusion of $400 […]
A Farewell to Elana Schor, and a Note About Our National Coverage
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As regular readers of the Capitol Hill blog already know, yesterday marked Elana Schor’s last day covering the national transportation policy beat for Streetsblog. On behalf of the Streetsblog staff in New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, as well as the Streetsblog Network, I’d like to share my appreciation for Elana’s work over the […]
NYPD Cop Who Tackled CM Cyclist Guilty of Cover-Up, Not Guilty of Assault
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The Post reports that the jury has reached a mixed verdict in the trial of Patrick Pogan, the ex-NYPD officer who was seen by millions of YouTube viewers slamming his shoulder into approaching cyclist Christopher Long during a 2008 Critical Mass ride, sending Long to the pavement. Pogan was found guilty of falsifying records when […]
Thursday: Bike-Sharing Launches in Denver
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Earth Day is coming around the bend, and cities are timing their new green initiatives to coincide with the public’s heightened eco-consciousness. Here’s one we’re partial to: In Denver, Mayor John Hickenlooper and city leaders are using the occasion to launch their 500-bicycle, 50-station bike-share system. It will be the largest bike-share system in the […]
Hummer Going the Way of the Dodo
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The days are numbered for the military vehicle that carmakers turned into the bane of pedestrians, cyclists and planet Earth. GM has announced plans to wind down Hummer production after a deal to sell the brand to a Chinese manufacturer fell apart. According to the Times, the Chinese government wanted no part of Hummer because […]
Want to Foster Walking, Biking and Transit? You Need Good Parking Policy
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The high-water mark for American parking policy came in the early 1970s, when cities including New York, Boston, and Portland set limits on off-street parking in their downtowns. They were compelled to do so by lawsuits brought under the Clean Air Act, which used the lever of parking policy to curb traffic and reduce pollution […]