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
Will the FRA Force Amtrak to Build Pricier High-Speed Trains?
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On the Network today, Systemic Failure highlights what is apparently an ongoing dispute between Amtrak and the Federal Railroad Administration — one that could affect the development of next-gen Acela trains. Systemic Failure says Amtrak was hamstrung by federal requirements into building a custom design for the first Acela, which led to higher costs. From […]
Explaining Public Transit to the Public
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It’s not something you hear often in transit-rich areas, but in cities and towns across the U.S., the specter of the “empty bus” looms large. Jarrett Walker at Network Blog Human Transit points us to a video from the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, in west-central Florida, which has produced a series of educational shorts on how […]
Agenda 21 Alert: Glenn Beck’s Words to Watch
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Sure, we know the movement for “sustainable” transportation and development is a front for Agenda 21, a.k.a. The UN Plot to End Private Property in the United States. But what to do? As with any battle, the first step is identifying the enemy. Fortunately (and none too soon), Glenn Beck has published a “comprehensive list […]
Will Chicago’s Fare Hike Stall Transit Ridership Growth?
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Today, Chicago transit riders are seeing their first fare hike in four years. Though the base fare is unchanged, multi-ride passes are up, including fares for seniors and the disabled. Steven Vance at Network blog Grid Chicago says the circumstances surrounding the increase are reminiscent of “Taken For A Ride,” a 1996 documentary about the […]
NACTO 2012: Leading City DOT Commissioners Talk Transportation Politics
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“To me, the single most fascinating element of politics is the alchemy by which something becomes an issue,” said Chris Hayes, MSNBC host and moderator of the commissioners’ panel on the politics of transportation at the October NACTO Designing Cities conference. The panel, captured in its entirety by Streetfilms, featured NYC DOT’s Janette Sadik-Khan, Chicago […]
Protecting NYC Transit From the Next Storm: Searching for Specifics
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Today on the Streetsblog Network: Known Unknowns. Ben Kabak at Second Avenue Sagas examines the capital funding request from New York MTA staff to its board, which estimates that nearly $5 billion is needed to restore the city’s transit system to pre-Sandy working order. Missing from the document, Kabak writes, is a plan to protect transit infrastructure […]
A Major Expansion for Charlotte Light Rail
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Encouraging news today from North Carolina. Mary Newsom at Network blog Naked City reports that local, state and federal officials signed an agreement yesterday for a 9.3-mile extension of Charlotte’s Lynx light rail system. When completed in 2017, the Blue Line will connect the far-flung campus of UNC Charlotte, with its 30,000 people, and a population […]
Study: Taxpayer-Backed NBA Arenas Don’t Help Local Economies
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Over the last few decades, sports franchise owners have been hugely successful in convincing governments to give them money in the form of taxpayer-funded stadiums and arenas. A favored approach is to threaten to pull up stakes and move a team, and its attendant economic benefits, to another city. Though taxpayers are often left holding […]
Greeks Turn to Bikes to Weather Economic Storm
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Today on the Network, Reno Rambler links to a Reuters story, via the Huffington Post, on how economic upheaval in Greece has led to a dramatic shift in how many get around. Thousands of Greeks are turning to bikes to help weather the crisis, and while unemployment is at 20 percent, the bike business is […]
Bikes, Bikes, and… Bikes!
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It’s all bikes, all the time on the Network today. Chicago Hails Loop Lane: On Sunday, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced a new protected bike lane on Dearborn Street. “The new route connects the near north side with the south loop and is designed to appeal to young, tech-savvy commuters who work downtown,” writes A/N […]
Got an Urban Infrastructure Issue? Make the Bureaucrat Work!
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The problem of inadequate infrastructure is not unique to the United States. Nor is the scourge of political dysfunction that leaves commuters stranded waiting for the next bus, pedestrians sprinting across eight lanes of traffic, and motorists stuck in gridlock. It may not be the first place you’d look for guerrilla-style protest, but in Yekaterinburg, […]
When the Streets Belonged to All, and All Belonged on the Streets
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It’s been a little over a year since Raquel Nelson was convicted of vehicular homicide for attempting to cross a street with her kids in suburban Atlanta. Much of the public responded not with outrage, or demands that municipalities improve conditions for pedestrians, but with victim-blaming vitriol, passed along in news stories with headlines like […]