Streetfilms: Good Riddance to Wasted Asphalt
By
Brad Aaron
10:45 AM EST on December 9, 2008
Before Streetfilms were called Streetfilms, Clarence Eckerson and Streetsblog Publisher Mark Gorton identified Grand Street, with its expanse of asphalt forcing pedestrians to the margins, as a prime spot for space reclamation. Now home to a conniption-inducing parking-protected bike lane, check out this 2005 vid to see why Grand was due for a livable streets makeover.
Visit the old New York Streets Renaissance page for more goodies from the Streetfilms vault.
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.
Read More:
More from Streetsblog New York City
Report: Safety Protections Have Not Kept Up With E-Commerce Boom, And Last Mile Is Making It Worse
A new report from the Teamsters concludes that the city has not kept up with the "last-mile delivery" boom from companies like Amazon.
April 7, 2026
Cycle of Rage: Wrong-Way Driver Reveals Wrong-Way Approach To Street Safety
Another day, another driver with a long record of recklessness nearly killing a man yet not suffering any punishment at all.
April 7, 2026
Tuesday’s Headlines: Mamdani On Notice Edition
It's hard for a mayor to know about every single recklessly driving cop who threatens all the residents within driving distance of his precinct house. Plus other news.
April 7, 2026
March (Parking) Madness Finals: Who Will Roll The Rock?
Which Staten Island precinct has the worst parking? Find out in this year's March (Parking) Madness final.
April 6, 2026
Monday’s Headlines: Citi Bike’s New Feature Edition
A Citi Bike mystery solved. Plus other news (including on car insurance).
April 6, 2026
Comments Are Temporarily Disabled
Streetsblog is in the process of migrating our commenting system. During this transition, commenting is temporarily unavailable.
Once the migration is complete, you will be able to log back in and will have full access to your comment history. We appreciate your patience and look forward to having you back in the conversation soon.