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
Obama Endorses Pricing as “Thoughtful and Innovative”
| | 7 Comments
Last month Barack Obama released details of a vaguely encouraging transportation platform, pledging investment in rail and "livable communities." Today the Democratic presidential candidate endorsed congestion pricing. In town for a speech and fundraising events, Obama was introduced at Cooper Union by Mayor Bloomberg this morning. WNYC reports: Speaking not far from Wall Street, Barack […]
Is CB 8 Angling to Get Rid of Bike Lanes on 91st Street?
| | 9 Comments
Almost six months after DOT installed "controversial" new cross-town bike lanes on the Upper East Side, Manhattan’s Community Board 8, which opposed the city’s plan for lanes on 91st Street, has formed a "91st Street Task Force." Of particular concern last year was the feared intrusion of cyclists into a section of 91st Street, between […]
“My Other Car Is a Bright Green City”
| | 6 Comments
As attention turns to the next federal transportation bill, and livable streets fans scan the platforms of presidential candidates for glimpses of what to expect from Washington over the next four years, Alex Steffen, editor and CEO of the blog WorldChanging, has posted an essay-in-progress called "My Other Car is a Bright Green City." Steffen […]
Resolved: More Driving for Teachers, Less for Everyone Else
| | 15 Comments
Another DOE employee not abusing a parking placard, courtesy Uncivil Servants Following United Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten’s "deeply troubling" letter to Mayor Bloomberg earlier this month protesting the city’s directive to reduce parking placard issues by 20 percent, this week UFT chapter leaders and delegates approved a resolution not only demanding an exemption […]
If Mayors Ran America …
| | 7 Comments
In 2004, after John Kerry and John Edwards conceded a second term in the White House to George W. Bush, the editors of Seattle’s liberal-tarian weekly The Stranger published an essay entitled "The Urban Archipelago," calling on urban Democrats and their political candidates to unite on issues relevant to cities, where the majority of Americans […]
Times Square: Too Many People, or Just Too Many Cars?
| | 14 Comments
Why is Times Square so crowded? An article in yesterday’s New York Times considered that question, asking real estate brokers if businesses might be shying away from the area due to packed streets and sidewalks. According to a survey cited in the article, 68 percent of Times Square office workers say congestion is the top […]
Kheel Plan: Double the Congestion Charge & Make Transit Free
| | 35 Comments
"If you were to design the ultimate system, you would have mass transit be free and charge an enormous amount for cars." So said Mayor Michael Bloomberg last April, right about the time he unveiled his plan to charge motorists a fee to drive into Manhattan’s central business district. Eight months later, as the mayor’s […]
Happy Thanksgiving
| | 10 Comments
We do a lot of criticism here on Streetsblog, so in the spirit of the season we thought we’d reflect on what we in the livable streets universe have to be thankful for. We’ll get the most obvious one out of the way: a Department of Transportation that looks at the city’s streets and […]
Jan Gehl: Gridlocked Streets Are “Not a Law of Nature”
| | 9 Comments
It could have been just another gathering of urban idealists, agreeing with each other about how great it would be to have more public space for people, and less for cars. Except last night’s NYC Streets Renaissance event, "A New Vision for the Upper West Side," featured renowned Danish planner Jan Gehl — who, as […]
Bogotá’s Peñalosa Talks Up Livable Streets, Sans Spandex
| | 3 Comments
Filed by April Greene Guillermo ("Gil") Peñalosa has a message for you. Actually, he has about 100, but they all packed very nicely into his two hour presentation last Thursday night at Harlem’s Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building. The former Parks Commissioner of Bogotá, Colombia, joined by members of the Harlem Community Development […]
Pricing Advocates Call for Impact Study and New Parking Policies
| | 27 Comments
Congestion pricing advocate Carolyn Konheim and consulting partner Brian Ketcham are advising the Bloomberg administration to drop its resistance to a congestion pricing Environmental Impact Study. The two say a study is needed to head off "likely 11th hour litigation" aimed at stopping the three-year pilot program from taking effect, a possibility Streetsblog alluded to […]
Carrion Supports Congestion and Congestion Pricing
| | 5 Comments
Last week AMNY ran a profile of Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion, Jr., playing on the angle that he may make a run for mayor in two years. The piece is mostly flattering, but does make mention of Carrion’s controversial support for the new Yankee Stadium, which, as Streetsblog readers are probably sick of hearing […]