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
Families of NYC Traffic Violence Victims Band Together for Safer Streets
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On Sunday, New Yorkers who’ve lost loved ones to traffic violence gathered on the steps of City Hall in Lower Manhattan to launch Families for Safe Streets, a new initiative advocating for street designs and traffic enforcement that will save lives. In this moving Streetfilm, members of Families for Safer Streets talk about their goals […]
Streetsblog Capitol Hill Is Now Streetsblog USA
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I’m pleased to announce that our national news site has a new name: Streetsblog USA. Say it with pride. Why the change? Simply put, “Streetsblog USA” is a better reflection of the nationwide coverage that Tanya Snyder and Angie Schmitt are producing. The new name was a long time coming. Streetsblog Capitol Hill launched five […]
Why TIME Magazine Got the Bixi Story Wrong
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Major media have a habit of blowing bike-share problems out of proportion. Witness the 2009 BBC story that cast theft and vandalism as an existential threat to Velib in Paris. Five years later, Velib is still going strong. The most recent entry in the genre is Christopher Matthews’ misguided story on the Bixi bankruptcy in […]
We’re Hiring: Streetsblog Is Searching for a Managing Editor
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Streetsblog is looking for a talented journalist to shape and oversee coverage throughout our growing family of news sites. The Managing Editor will work with the Editor-in-Chief and our roster of editors and reporters to hone Streetsblog’s coverage of transportation and planning issues, grow our audience, and bring our brand of advocacy journalism to more […]
Bid While You Can: Streetsblog’s Online Auction Ends Tomorrow at 11 PM
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There are less than 36 hours left in Streetsblog’s first online auction, with more than a dozen items up for grabs. Whether or not you win an auction item in the end, your bids will help Streetsblog and Streetfilms produce media that makes the case for safer streets, effective transit, and livable neighborhoods. So why […]
Help Streetsblog Keep the Lights on — Donate Today
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We’re extending our spring pledge drive til the end of the week to reach our target of $40,000 in reader donations. If you haven’t given already, please make a tax-free gift today and help keep Streetsblog and Streetfilms going strong this year. Streetsblog and Streetfilms rely on individual donations, foundation support, and sponsorships and ads […]
Support Pro-Human Transportation Journalism – Give to Streetsblog
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We are rolling right along with our spring pledge drive. Thanks to everyone who has contributed so far — your donations will be converted into Streetsblog posts making the case for more livable streets and Streetfilms videos showing success stories and ideas from cities around the world. But we need more readers to step up […]
Pledge to Streetsblog and This Awesome Elly Blue Collection Could Be Yours
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Have you given to Streetsblog’s spring pledge drive yet? If not, may I suggest that this is the week to do so. In addition to supporting livable streets journalism and putting yourself in the running to win a Dahon folding bike, you could take home a sweet collection of books and zines courtesy of eminent […]
Give to Streetsblog By Thursday and You Could Win Goodies From Planet Bike
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Thanks to everyone who’s given to Streetsblog and Streetfilms so far in our spring pledge drive — we’re nearly a quarter of the way to our fundraising goal of $40,000. I can’t emphasize enough how crucial it is for readers to chip in and help us reach our targets. Your contributions keep us going so […]
Chicago to Pursue Center-Running Bus Rapid Transit on Ashland Avenue
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After a year of study and outreach, today Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the Chicago Transit Authority, and the Chicago Department of Transportation announced plans for center-running Bus Rapid Transit on Ashland Avenue. Once implemented, the project could set a national precedent for high-quality BRT, improving transit speeds as much as 80 percent during rush hour, according […]
The Origins of Holland’s “Stop Murdering Children” Street Safety Movement
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Since the 1970s, the Netherlands and the United States have taken different paths when it comes to engineering streets. While the Dutch tackled traffic deaths and injuries by designing local streets where walking and biking are safe, convenient ways to get around, the prevalent approach in America was to apply highway design principles to local […]
Coming Next Week: Streetsblog Chicago
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After setting up transportation news sites covering New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and national policy, next Tuesday Streetsblog will be expanding for the first time in four years with the launch of Streetsblog Chicago. The reporters producing Streetsblog Chicago are John Greenfield and Steven Vance, who have built an impressive audience for local transportation […]