Streetfilms

Everyone knows that Phoenix has a huge sprawl problem. But now transit-oriented development is on the upswing in this Sun Belt metropolis. In December, the Phoenix region opened one of the most ambitious transit projects in recent U.S. history: a 20-mile light rail line with 28 stops serving three cities (Phoenix, Tempe, and Mesa). Future [...]

On the second Friday of the month, Transportation Alternatives Queens Committee leads a "bike pool" along Queens Boulevard. By riding together in a group each month, the bike pool works not only to educate drivers that bikes are on the street and to make a statement about the need for a bike lane, but it give the borough's bike commuters a safe, escorted ride home.

It was a very cold December day in 2003 - I recall being sick and the wind chill near zero - when I was able to go up on The High Line after a moderate snow storm and shoot some video. And until the recent whoosh of publicity over the grand opening of Phase [...]

Transportation Alternatives' 5th Annual Tour de Brooklyn was held yesterday. The 23-mile ride started and finished in Coney Island.  Brooklyn Borough President, Marty Markowitz was there to see the ride off. As he spoke, Transportation Alternatives Executive Director, Paul Steely White pedaled to power the microphone. Check out this years video to see footage of [...]

Matthew Modine founder of the advocacy group "Bicycle for a Day" held a fundraising party for this project last night at Solar One, the City’s first solar-powered “Green Energy, Arts, and Education Center.” Modine plan's to recycle New York City's junk bikes and distribute them around the world so more people will be able to [...]

It's extremely rare you get to cross one of New York City's major bridges by foot using the main roadway, but early Sunday morning that's just what happened as the Queensboro Bridge turned a hardy 100!
The NYC Bridge Centennial Commission is in the midst of celebrating the completion dates of six major NYC bridges and [...]

2008 was the kickoff for BlockParty NYC, a new on-line initiative to promote block parties in the five boroughs. To celebrate block parties where people enjoy their blocks free from the usual hazards of car-filled streets, we created this mini film.

Ever wonder what folks working for sustainable transportation at the federal level are up against on K Street? For this Streetfilms exclusive event, we were granted unfettered access to Veronica Moss, lobbyist for Automobile Users Trade Organization (AUTO). Veronica gave us a few precious moments inside her SUV to talk about roads, traffic, [...]

Chicago's Millennium Park hosts of one of the most incredible amenities for cyclists in the United States: McDonald's Cycle Center. So sit back and take a most excellent tour with Bike And Roll's Josh Squire, who manages the facility through an agreement with the city.
It's enough to make bike commuters in many cities drool. [...]

In what is being called the first ever of its kind in New York City, Livable Streets Education teamed up with Community Roots Charter School and PS 67 and got a helping hand from New York Cares and The Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership to paint a magnificent street mural on St. Edwards Street in Fort [...]

Between 2007 and 2008 bicycling in NYC leapt an amazing 35%.  And looking at the streets it's easy to see why: bike lanes, racks & other amenities are popping up everywhere; it's practically a renaissance. There are now 185,000 daily riders on the streets.
Today, NYC DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan was one of them, leading a commuter ride from [...]

It's Bike Month - which means there are scads of neophytes out there nationwide giving cycling a try.  Oh goody!  But, oh baddy - it also means more improper locking - and we all know there are predators just licking their chops at the thought of stealing all or part of your bike. So we [...]

Did you know that 25% of all New York City School children are affected by asthma?  May 5th was World Asthma Day and Idle-Free NYC Day, and supporters gathered at City Hall to celebrate new legislation, Intro 631-A, that reduces the time a motor vehicle can idle in a school zone from three minutes to [...]

ASCOBIKE is located an hour out of São Paulo on the grounds of the commuter rail station in a city with zero bicycle infrastructure. And yet, ASCOBIKE houses 1700 bikes daily, and offers a series of social, legal and bicycle education services.

Thanks to a marked improvement for pedestrians and cyclists in public spaces in NYC, Zozo's - purple, pleasant creatures who once roamed NYC's streets before the presence of the automobile but thought now extinct - are making a comeback. Watch our mockumentary as we go in search of the ever-elusive Zozo! Will we find it?

The first time you visit Portland, Oregon, the gaggles of cyclists streaming over the Hawthorne Bridge during rush hour is a sight you will never forget. It's something other cities need to see and be inspired by.

The Zozo is coming...
Our eclectic mockumentary "The Search for the Zozo" is only days away from debuting.  Until then you'll have to do with the charm of this mysterious promo which is all sorts of wonderful and features lots of NYC notables.  Have you seen the Zozo?  Check back in a few days to see if we [...]

The Bronx River Greenway and South Bronx Greenway plans apply community-driven design strategies to help undo years of top down, auto-centric planning and development in the Bronx. The greenways, when completed, will create a network of safe bicycle and pedestrian paths and routes, parks, and waterfront access points throughout the borough. See the Bronx [...]

This video is an overview of what Transportation Alternatives, New York State Department of Health, NYC DOT, community groups, and elected officials are doing to promote safe streets for seniors.

I have to admit: the thought of being in a control room documenting technology that moves vehicles more efficiently didn't excite me at first, but once I met Senior Transportation Engineer Bill Shao and the friendly staff at Los Angeles' Automated Traffic Surveillance and Control (or ATSAC), I was full of curiosity.
First off, one [...]

Physically separated bicycle paths exist in cities worldwide. This video explains what they are, how they work, and asks: "Why not here?"

In Part 1 of our Bogotá trilogy watch as every Sunday & holiday, every week, the City of Bogotá, Colombia closes down over 70 miles of roadways to cars and let people bike, walk, talk, exercise, picnic, sunbathe, I could go on and on. Just watch the video, it's amazing.

In San Francisco, several organizations led by REBAR temporarily liberated over two dozen parking spots, turning them into temporary green spaces for pedestrians.

Feeling remarkably similar to Bogota's Ciclovia, the New York City Department of Transportation held its first Summer Streets event on Saturday by opening 7 miles of city streets to pedestrians and bike traffic only. From 7 AM to 1 PM, roads were car-free from 72nd Street to the Brooklyn Bridge along Park Avenue. It was splendiferous.

In Part 2 of our Bogotá trilogy, we examine the tremendously successful Bus Rapid Transit system which has revolutionized transit there.

In our follow up to "Hal Grades Your Bike Locking," two experienced mechanics offer advice and grades on the bike locking ability of New Yorkers.

Transportation Alternatives held its 7th annual Commuter Challenge pitting cyclist, driver, and transit rider in the ultimate showdown of speed. In the end, the bike proved swiftest over the 4.5 mile course which began in Brooklyn's Fort Greene and ended in Manhattan's Union Square.

StreetFilms' 30 minute film on Portland, OR showing just a few of the ways it is one of the most livable cities in the U.S.

Since taking over as New York City's Commissioner of the Department of Transportation in mid-2007, Janette Sadik-Khan has taken on the challenge of making NYC streets more bike & pedestrian friendly while emphasizing livable streets and re-orienting them to accommodate all modes. She and her staff have done it quickly with innovative concepts, thinking outside [...]

In Berkeley, Calif. a citywide network of traffic calmed streets called Bicycle Boulevards allows bicyclists to navigate safely. They are marked by wonderful purple signage and street stencils larger than a car!

There are dozens of Bike Boxes popping up all over NYC, wanna find out how to use them?

On July 15, 2007 Paris debuted the world's largest self-service "bicycle transit system" called Vélib outdoing previously designed bike share programs. Vélib is a balance of scale and functionality, clocking in with more than 20,000 bikes, and 1,451 docking stations, which are never more than 1,000 feet apart. As a result, Vélib is effectively [...]

Mechanic Hal Ruzal from Bicycle Habitat grades the bike locking ability of New Yorkers. Avoid a bad grade and listen to his advice.

In Fall 2007, T.A. & The Trust for Public Land organized a of group of motley advocates in liberating nearly two dozen parking spaces and turning them into open green areas for city residents to enjoy. Parking Day rules!

The San Francisco Giants offer free, convenient, attended bicycle parking at all 81 of their home games.

Do you know what a chicane is? In 24 simple seconds you can find out.

Despite a very dreary and damp first half of the day, Portland's first Ciclovia-style street closure, Sunday Parkways, was a smashing success with countless thousands of city residents participating. It was like a giant community block party with walkers, bikers, joggers, bladers, families, and pets filling the 6 mile course.

In Part 3 of our Bogotá trilogy we look at Cyclepaths, Parks, and some of the great initiatives undertaken to make it a more livable city.

Hitch a ride along Transportation Alternatives annual Century ride, one of the most enjoyable and friendly rides in the nation. Here is the 2007 campaign.

Former Bogotá mayor Enrique Peñalosa discusses his amazing success transforming Bogotá into a livable city for cyclists and pedestrians.

In Portland, Oregon, City Repair promotes intersection interventions where hundreds of people take back their streets by painting street murals and creating community-friendly commons to gather and socialize.

In the shadow of the Manhattan Bridge, a triangle that once was home to two dozen car parking spots now is a green pedestrian plaza. If that ain't cool, we don't know what is.

In Fall 2007, T.A. & The Trust for Public Land organized a of group of motley advocates in liberating nearly two dozen parking spaces and turning them into open green areas for city residents to enjoy. Parking Day rules!

What can we learn from a city with a population of 12 million plus people, 2.4 million cars and at least 100,000 new vehicles each year? We talk with Urban Planner, Kevser Üstündag.

Rev. Billy Preaches Bikes & Transit at the NYC Auto Show in a performance with Transportation Alternatives.

The Towards Car-free Cities Conference is wrapping up here in Portland but car-free events go on. On Sunday June 15th, Vancouver hosted a Car-Free Day featuring four simultaneous Community Festivals. Frank Lopez brings you this recap. Check out your local car-free events this weekend. There are two block parties in NYC and Portland is launching [...]

When Doug Gordon visits Prospect Park he always sees vehicles entering illegally after it is closed to cars at 7 pm. It made him mad, so he got out his video camera.

In Part 1 of our Bogotá trilogy watch as every Sunday & holiday, every week, the City of Bogotá, Colombia closes down over 70 miles of roadways to cars and let people bike, walk, talk, exercise, picnic, sunbathe, I could go on and on. Just watch the video, it's amazing.

Physically separated bicycle paths exist in cities worldwide. This video explains what they are, how they work, and asks: "Why not here?"

StreetFilms' 30 minute film on Portland, OR showing just a few of the ways it is one of the most livable cities in the U.S.

Feeling remarkably similar to Bogota's Ciclovia, the New York City Department of Transportation held its first Summer Streets event on Saturday by opening 7 miles of city streets to pedestrians and bike traffic only. From 7 AM to 1 PM, roads were car-free from 72nd Street to the Brooklyn Bridge along Park Avenue. It was splendiferous.

Former Bogotá mayor Enrique Peñalosa discusses his amazing success transforming Bogotá into a livable city for cyclists and pedestrians.

In Portland, Oregon, City Repair promotes intersection interventions where hundreds of people take back their streets by painting street murals and creating community-friendly commons to gather and socialize.

In Fall 2007, T.A. & The Trust for Public Land organized a of group of motley advocates in liberating nearly two dozen parking spaces and turning them into open green areas for city residents to enjoy. Parking Day rules!

Daylighting is a simple pedestrian safety strategy which removes parking spaces surrounding an intersection in order to create better visibility for all street users and reduce the risk of conflict.

Hitch a ride along Transportation Alternatives annual Century ride, one of the most enjoyable and friendly rides in the nation. Here is the 2007 campaign.

NYC is getting a separated bike lane. Pinch us! Pinch us!!

In our follow up to "Hal Grades Your Bike Locking," two experienced mechanics offer advice and grades on the bike locking ability of New Yorkers.

Executive Director Mark Gorton interviews NY Times' Ethics columnist Randy Cohen about urban automobility.

It's hard to believe, but we now have over 200 Streetfilms on the site to choose from! Most of them really high quality productions that are being used around the world to fight for better, more livable streets, and a happier planet. Speaking of happy, be sure to click this sure-to-make-you-smile, 3 minute [...]

According to Dr. Shoup, reforming "free parking" policies will lead to a better pedestrian environment, cleaner streets, less pollution and safer downtown shopping districts. Here is part of our interview with him.

In Part 2 of our Bogotá trilogy, we examine the tremendously successful Bus Rapid Transit system which has revolutionized transit there.

The first time you visit Portland, Oregon, the gaggles of cyclists streaming over the Hawthorne Bridge during rush hour is a sight you will never forget. It's something other cities need to see and be inspired by.

Transportation Alternatives (T.A.) gathered a gaggle of cyclists on 42nd Street in Manhattan to stage a dramatic visual that shows how much street space is gained if more people rode bicycles or took mass transit instead of driving personal cars.

There are dozens of Bike Boxes popping up all over NYC, wanna find out how to use them?

The Campaign for New York's Future explains the health and transportation benefits of congestition pricing, one of the 127 proposals included in Mayor Bloomberg's ambitious PlaNYC2030.