Jason Varone
Jason Varone battles the streets everyday during a 9 mile commute on his bicycle from downtown Brooklyn to the Upper East Side. In addition to his efforts on Streetsblog, he is an artist making work related to the environment and technology. Examples of his work can be found at www.varonearts.org.
Recent Posts
The Suburbanist Paradox
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The Atlantic Monthly’s Matthew Yglesias argues that high-density living is a key strategy to fight climate change. Yglesias takes issue with fellow Atlantic Online blogger Ross Douthat and author Joel Kotkin, who defend suburban sprawl — what James Kunstler has famously called "the most destructive development pattern the world has ever seen, and perhaps the […]
General Motors Goes Hollywood
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New York Times film critic Manohla Dargis points out that the good guys in Transformers are mostly fashioned after GM trucks and SUVs. In her review, Dargis calls the film "part car commercial and part military recruitment ad." She also notes that while the Transformers originated as a toy in Japan, curiously none of these […]
Rage on the Bikeway
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The Boston Globe ran a front-page story yesterday about confrontations among users of the super-popular tree-lined Minuteman Bikeway in Boston. Police have already filed more reports of clashes between users of the bikeway this year than the previous two combined. As the Arlington Police Chief noted, "We have road rage, and now we have bikeway […]
Berlin’s Bicycle Boom
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Committed to making cycling a viable form of transportation, the Berlin Senate measures the success of that city’s bicycle network by the prevalence of cyclists in the overall traffic mix — rather than the way New York’s DOT does, by the miles of bike lanes built. Via TreeHugger: Two years ago, the Berlin Senate decided […]
Go to Car-Free Governors Island
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Go to Governor’s Island! A StreetFilm by Clarence Eckerson Jr. and Trorb Productions Running Time: 4 minutes 18 seconds Governors Island is a car-free, New York City paradise and now it’s open to the public on weekends from June thru Sept 2nd. Find all the details on the Governors Island Alliance website. To get there, […]
‘Triboro RX’ Could Provide More Transit Opportunities
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For the Regional Plan Association, Michael Frumin visualized their plan for a rapid transit line in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx that could be built almost entirely on pre-existing rail and would connect with at least twenty existing subway lines. The “Triboro RX”, which originated in the 1996 Third Regional Plan, could provide effective transit […]
Quebec Makes Bold Cycling Statement
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Transit Miami, a blog dedicated to the urban planning issues in the greater Miami region, is jealous of Quebec’s glorious new bicycle path: The province of Quebec doesn’t mess around when it comes to cycling. A 250+ mile long route will be completed this August, making it the longest such route in North America. Known […]
O’Donnell Supports PlaNYC, but Congestion Pricing?
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Below is State Assembly Member Daniel O’Donnell’s response to a letter from Streetsblog contributor Glenn McAnanama urging O’Donnell to support congestion pricing. O’Donnell claims that no specific legislation has been introduced regarding PlaNYC so he cannot take a position. O’Donnell represents the 69th Assembly District which includes Manhattan Valley, Morningside Heights, and the Upper West […]
Breaking News: 94th Precinct Clipping Bikes on Bedford Ave
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Police officers from Brooklyn’s 94th precinct are, at this moment, clipping bike locks and seizing bicycles parked along Bedford Ave. according to Community Board 1 Transportation Chair Teresa Toro. The precinct gave Community Board members no advanced notice of the police action. Phone calls to the precinct have gone unanswered. Toro, who also works for […]
Just What India Needs: The $3,000 Car
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The Sierra Club points out that in India, there are currently about 7 cars per 1,000 persons (as compared to nearly 500 per 1,000 in the US). With the advent of the $3,000 car, that is surely about to change. The Independent’s Andrew Buncombe reports: If India’s roads seem cluttered and inadequate, things are set […]
David Byrne on Bicycling in NYC
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Transportation Alternatives’ Noah Budnick and David Byrne prior to the Manhattan Borough President’s "Manhattan on the Move" conference, October 2006. Former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne writes about his 30 years of cycling in New York City on his website. Byrne is an avid bicyclist, and an alternative transportation advocate: I have been riding a […]
StreetFilms Cyclist of the Month
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Cyclist of the Month: Petra Kirstein A Streetfilm by Sean Clifford Running Time: 3 minutes 50 seconds When asked for advice for New Yorkers who don’t ride, Petra Kirstein says "New York is beautiful, and New York has beautiful weather. Just try it, its wonderful!" The former Transportation Alternatives staffer and life-long bike commuter rides […]