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
A (Quiet) Bike Renaissance in Rockville, Maryland
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The DC suburb of Rockville, Maryland, is quietly becoming a bike-friendly city. Greater Greater Washington reports that Rockville advocates and the city have worked together for the last 15 years to expand bike infrastructure. The result: a 68-mile bike network, including 34 miles of separated bikeways, 33 miles of shared lanes, and a multi-use path […]
Alan Dershowitz: Penalize Reckless Drivers Before They Kill
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Noted attorney Alan Dershowitz says that to dramatically reduce traffic deaths and injuries in NYC, police and prosecutors must crack down on all dangerous drivers, not just those who kill while driving drunk. In a Daily News op-ed, Dershowitz says he has been rebuffed by 911 operators when he reports reckless drivers. The reason, he says, is police […]
Witness: Crash That Killed Marlene Baharlias Likely Caught on Video
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A man who says he saw the Tuesday crash that killed Marlene Baharlias echoes the story told by others: The driver backed into the senior on a Sheepshead Bay sidewalk. The witness believes a security camera in his building recorded the crash, but NYPD does not share details of crash investigations unless compelled by freedom of information requests. […]
Marlene Baharlias, 77, Killed by Motorist, Blamed by NYPD and the Post
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A senior was killed Tuesday in Sheepshead Bay by a driver who witnesses say backed onto a sidewalk — contrary to anonymous NYPD sources who told the Post the victim was jaywalking. No charges were filed. Marlene Baharlias, 77, was walking home from the doctor with her husband when the driver of a Mercedes SUV backed onto the curb […]
Who Pays for “Free” Park-and-Ride Parking?
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Park-and-ride lots, writes Matt Steele at Streets.mn, are the “darling infrastructure of the transit planning profession.” In exchange for providing a parking spot at no charge to suburban commuters, says Steele, transit systems can increase ridership. But “free” suburban parking isn’t such a sweet deal for everyone. Steele writes that a Metro Transit park-and-ride expansion at the […]
Will Bratton Direct All NYPD Precincts to Get Behind Vision Zero?
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NYPD summons data from last month show that ticketing for deadly traffic violations increased overall compared to February 2013, but in the weeks after the official launch of Vision Zero, enforcement remained wildly inconsistent from precinct to precinct. WNYC mapped data on citations for speeding, failure to yield to pedestrians, and red-light running. The dark blue areas […]
Tell Albany Where You’d Like to See Traffic Enforcement Cameras
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With Mayor de Blasio looking to gain home rule over NYC’s red light and speed cameras as part of the Vision Zero Action Plan, Transportation Alternatives wants to take your requests for camera locations to Albany. Here’s why local control is critical: Currently, Albany has limited NYC to a handful of speed cameras that can only be […]
Ignizio Bill Would Turn Pedestrian Timers Into Countdown Clocks for Drivers
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City Council Member Vincent Ignizio has another red light camera bill — one that seems to be a variation on a failed bill from six years ago. In addition to a bill that would require DOT to post warning signs where red light cameras are stationed, Ignizio last month introduced legislation that would mandate pedestrian countdown signals […]
As Lucian Merryweather’s Family Grieves, Charges Against His Killer Reduced
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Lucian Merryweather was one of at least 10 children age 12 and under killed by a New York City motorist in the last 12 months. As his family tries to cope with his death and joins others in demanding an end to traffic violence, court records say charges were downgraded against the driver who killed […]
Assembly to Reject Cuomo’s $40M Transit Raid; No Word From State Senate
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Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver will look to block Governor Cuomo’s $40 million transit raid, according to the Daily News. Cuomo’s executive budget proposes to divert $40 million in dedicated transit revenue to pay for MTA bonds the state had pledged to pay off from the general fund. The move could cost the MTA around $350 […]
TLC Tells City Council It’s Looking to Get Dangerous Cabbies Off the Road
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Here are more highlights from Thursday’s City Council transportation committee budget hearing. Conan Freud, chief operating officer for the Taxi and Limousine Commission, said the agency is working on driver education, implementing technology, and increasing enforcement to improve driver safety. Freud said the TLC is looking to incentivize safe driving and remove unsafe cab drivers […]
Judge Dismisses Brooklyn NIMBY Bike-Share Suit
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Bike-share NIMBYs have lost another lawsuit. Owners of 150 Joralemon Street in Brooklyn Heights claimed that the siting of a bike-share station on the sidewalk outside the building was “arbitrary and capricious,” according to court documents, and that DOT exceeded its authority in doing so. They dumped their garbage on the station for good measure. Judge […]