Recent Streetsblog NYC posts about Traffic

City Council Moves on Environmental Health, But What About Tailpipes?

By Noah Kazis | May 18, 2010 | 16 Comments

The Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges, covered in smog generated in large part by tailpipe emissions. Image: Wikimedia The New York City Council moved on two big pieces of environmental legislation last Wednesday. One bill was introduced which would require landlords to participate in a major public experiment to reduce asthma rates. A second, which passed […]

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Streetfilms: Tom Vanderbilt Talks Driver Behavior and Psychology

By Clarence Eckerson Jr. | Apr 27, 2010 | No Comments

Whether you’re a transportation geek or just curious about why people do the things they do behind the wheel, Tom Vanderbilt’s Traffic is one of the most fascinating books you can open up. Tom, who also writes the excellent blog How We Drive, was kind enough to drop by the Streetfilms office for a conversation about […]

New Scorecard From DOT: Driving in Decline, Safety Improvements Work

By Noah Kazis | Mar 26, 2010 | 4 Comments

In 2008, transit ridership continued to increase while auto traffic declined. Image: NYCDOT. NYCDOT released the second Sustainable Streets Index this week, its annual scorecard on green transportation and street safety. This year’s edition has a few new features, including case studies of 12 projects across the city and some nifty GPS data from taxis. […]

Study: Fewer Cars on the Street = Healthier Kids

By Noah Kazis | Feb 5, 2010 | 11 Comments

Fewer cars means more walking and healthier kids. Image: jeweledlion via Flickr. Could reducing traffic near children’s homes help America combat its obesity epidemic? A new study conducted by UC Berkeley professor Michael Jerrett strongly suggests the answer is yes. Obesity rates are steadily increasing — more than one-fifth of New Yorkers are now obese, […]

With Congestion Pricing, Saving Time Trumps Reducing Pollution

By Charles Komanoff | Jan 6, 2010 | 41 Comments

A prime target of the early environmental movement was car tailpipes. And for good reason. Put a human in a garage with a running auto in the old days, and he or she would pass out within minutes and be dead in an hour. Run a few million vehicles daily in New York or Los […]

Report: Tame Traffic, and More People Will Choose to Walk and Bike

By Noah Kazis | Jan 5, 2010 | 3 Comments

Research shows that more traffic means fewer cyclists. Photo by jaygoldman via Flickr. It may seem obvious that speeding traffic discourages walking and biking. But the evidence is scarce and scattered. A new paper by Peter Jacobsen, Francesca Racioppi and Harry Rutter aims to improve the understanding of how traffic affects cyclist and pedestrian behavior […]

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