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
Toronto Politician on Bike Lanes and the Future of Cycling
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Toronto City Council member Glenn De Baeremaeker bicycles 26 miles each way to work at City Hall, all year round. Thirty-five minutes into his ride, De Baeremaeker finally reaches a bike lane. The Toronto Star profiles his ride: He has clipped on his panniers, buckled his helmet and set off on an hour-long pant to […]
Bicycle Advocacy TV Ads from the Netherlands
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A collection of Dutch bicycle advocacy videosRunning time: 8 minutes 11 seconds We don’t understand a word of it, but in this video compilation from the Netherlands, we see what a well-funded television ad campaign to encourage cycling might look like. Or not. Check out the ad about three minutes in: It appears to show […]
Queens Residents Oppose Loss of Parking for Bus Rapid Transit
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Trend Watch: New York City Community Boards and civic groups opposing progressive transportation projects on the grounds that they interfere with car owners’ on-street parking and double-parking privileges. Last week, while DOT was catching flack in Brooklyn for its plan to stripe bike lanes on Brooklyn’s 9th Street, Community Board 13 in Queens was putting […]
In the East River, Verdant Power Sleeps With the Fishes
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One of Verdant Power’s tidal turbines prior to installation in the East River. Apparently, you have to read British newspapers to catch news about innovative environmental developments in New York City. The Guardian looks at Verdant Power, a small company that is working with the State to develop hydro-electric power right here in the East […]
He’s on a Road to Nowhere: David Byrne’s Bicycle Stolen
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Transportation Alternatives’ Noah Budnick schmoozes with David Byrne prior to the Manhattan Borough President’s "Manhattan on the Move" conference, October 2006. Talking Heads frontman David Byrne’s foldable Montague mountain bike was stolen outside the IFC Center this weekend. Byrne is an avid city bicyclist, and an alternative transportation advocate. Gothamist and Papermag have the story: […]
Pedicab Limits: Let the Free Market Decide
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This NY Sun editorial weighs in on the proposed pedicab restrictions: Imagine if the long-distance bus industry were allowed to set a limit on the number of airline flights in and out of New York City, or if the beer industry were allowed to place a cap on the number of bottles of wine that […]
Seattle Master Plan Aims to Keep Cyclists Safe
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Looking toward a future in which more and more people will travel by bike, the city of Seattle is launching several efforts to improve cycling conditions and increase motorist awareness of cyclists’ rights. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports: Making bicyclists of all ages feel more secure in city traffic is a top goal of the city […]
Co-op City Group Wants Bus Rapid Transit to Keep Its Distance
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Even though Bus Rapid Transit may have the support of the city’s DOT, more roadblocks may await its implementation — in the form of community groups set on protecting the status quo in their neighborhoods. A dispute over one route is brewing in the Bronx, as reported in a recent Daily News story: The proposed […]
Eyes on the Street: Inspector Yee Tows His Own
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Apparently, the retired NYPD officer who wrote the infamous, "We do not summons our own" rant in the UncivilServants.org comment section the other day never met Deputy Inspector Gin Yee, commanding officer of Manhattan’s 5th Precinct. Inspector Yee tows his own. These photos were snapped on March 28th at approximately 1:20 pm. And here is […]
Support Builds for Carbon Taxes Over “Cap and Trade”
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The Independent reports that European CO2 emissions are rising not falling, casting doubt on the EU’s touted Emissions Trading Scheme: Europe’s big polluters pumped more climate-changing gases into the atmosphere in 2006 than during the previous year, according to figures that show the EU’s carbon trading system failing to deliver curbs. Critics said the data […]
Why Can’t I Go the Wrong Way on a One Way Street?
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From a recent Gridlock Sam column in the Daily News: Dear Gridlock Sam: I received a summons for driving the wrong way in a one-way street. I do admit that I made a wrong turn in a one-way street, and when I did reach the end of that street I resumed driving correctly. I remember […]
StreetFilms: Reclaiming Grand Army Plaza
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Reclaiming Grand Army Plaza A StreetFilm by Sean Clifford Running time: 5 minutes 40 seconds The Grand Army Plaza Coalition formed in the Spring of 2006 to begin to re-envision GAP as the great public space it was designed to be. A community-driven, grassroots project, GAPco is a prime example of how New York City’s […]