Aaron Naparstek
AARON NAPARSTEK is the founder and former editor-in-chief of Streetsblog. Based in Brooklyn, New York, Naparsteks journalism, advocacy and community organizing work has been instrumental in growing the bicycle network, removing motor vehicles from parks, and developing new public plazas, car-free streets and life-saving traffic-calming measures across all five boroughs. Naparstek is the author of "Honku: The Zen Antidote for Road Rage" (Villard, 2003), a book of humorous haiku poetry inspired by the endless motorist sociopathy observed from his apartment window. Prior to launching Streetsblog, Naparstek worked as an interactive media producer, pioneering some of the Web's first music web sites, online communities, live webcasts and social networking services. Naparstek is currently in Cambridge with his wife and two young sons where he is enjoying a Loeb Fellowship at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design. He has a master's degree from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism and a bachelor's degree from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Naparstek is a co-founder of the Park Slope Neighbors community group and the Grand Army Plaza Coalition. You can find more of his work here: http://www.naparstek.com.
Recent Posts
Senator in Gridlocked Brooklyn District Has Doubts About Pricing
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For a sense of the challenge that lays ahead for congestion pricing supporters, take a look at the mailer that Brooklyn Democratic State Senator Velmanette Montgomery sent to all of her constituents last week. Montgomery has a smart, engaged staff when it comes to transportation policy and she has often been helpful when it comes […]
Crain’s: Congestion Pricing Approval is a “Near Certainty”
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Contrary to some of the more pessimistic analyses that appeared after last week’s congestion pricing deal (like ours, theirs and this one too), Crain’s Erik Engquist writes that "details of the deal make approval of Manhattan driving fees a near certainty next year." The article is for subscribers only on the Crain’s web site: 7.23.07 […]
Congestion Pricing: Here’s the Deal
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Below is a summary of the congestion pricing deal struck this afternoon by Governor Spitzer, Mayor Bloomberg, Assembly Speaker Silver and Senate Leader Bruno. The 17 member congestion pricing commission is made up as follows: 3 appointees — Mayor 3 appointees — Governor 3 appointees — City Council 3 appointees — State Senate majority leader […]
Lots of Quotes, Few Details on Congestion Pricing Deal
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Press release from Campaign for New York’s Future: Campaign for New York’s Future director Michael O’Loughlin said, "Today is a watershed day for the health and the future of New York City. Today all New Yorkers win. Today we are moving forward toward a cleaner, healthier, more livable New York. We thank Mayor Bloomberg for […]
Some Sort of Congestion Pricing Deal is Done
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According to NY1, Governor Spitzer just announced "that the state has given the city the green light to proceed with the plan, but he stressed that no agreement has been reached on tolls." NY1 reports, "The agreement creates a commission of representatives from the mayor’s office and the governor’s office, City Council members, and State […]
CB8 Shoots Down Upper East Side Crosstown Bike Route Plan
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On Monday, July 9 the transportation committee of Community Board 8 on Manhattan’s Upper East Side took up the issues of congestion pricing and a new pair of crosstown bike lanes. Congestion pricing, it turns out, was the evening’s non-controversial issue. Even after a series of impassioned speeches against Mayor Bloomberg’s traffic reduction plan the […]
NYC’s Greenest Building Cracks Down on Bikes (Updated)
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The Solaire building in Battery Park City bills itself as "America’s first environmentally advanced residential tower." Here is a letter that building management just sent to all tenants: It has been brought to the attention of Building Management with increasing frequency that some tenants are using Public Corridors as storage for bicycles. As well as […]
Bike-Sharing in Berlin
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Since we’re talking about urban bike-sharing today, it’s worth taking a quick look at Germany’s Call-a-Bike program. The remarkable thing about this system is that you don’t even need to leave the bicycles in a set parking spot. Using your cell phone you call the phone number on the side of the bike, a magic […]
The London Model is Dead. Time to Look at Paris.
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David Haskell, executive director of the Forum for Urban Design, and organizer of last week’s New York Bike-Share Project demonstration in Soho, says it’s time for New York City to ditch the London model and take a closer look at the traffic-reduction techniques Paris has implemented without congestion pricing. An op/ed in today’s New York […]
Who Better Represented “the Little Guy” in the Pricing Debate?
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New York State Assembly Members Jose Rivera, Richard Brodsky and Adriano Espaillat Mayor Bloomberg and the Campaign for New York’s Future never really seemed to get that the congestion pricing debate was fundamentally going to be a fight about class, and the widening divide between rich and poor in New York City. While the Mayor […]
Parking Reform: Reduce Congestion & Raise Money Minus Albany
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With congestion pricing stalled in Albany gridlock, what’s next? What immediate measures can New York City take to reduce traffic congestion without having to go through Albany to implement them? How else might New York City reduce traffic congestion while raising a bit of money for transit, bicycling and pedestrian improvements? Back in May, Transportation […]
Bloomberg: NYC is Poorer Today Thanks to Albany Inaction
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Mayor Bloomberg had harsh words for New York State’s Democratic leadership at today’s press conference in Brooklyn. Here is an abbreviated transcript of some of the question-and-answer period with the press: Is congestion pricing dead? I don’t know that it’s dead or alive. I think what is clear is that we have not submitted a […]