Flashback Friday: ReMOOOve the Barricades!
Clarence has been unearthing old footage from the Streetfilms vault this summer in preparation for Transportation Alternatives' 40th anniversary bash. This week's installment takes us back to the end of 1997, when the Giuliani administration and NYPD erected pedestrian barricades in Midtown, preventing people from crossing major avenues to make way for turning traffic. TA's protest got covered on all seven local newscasts, but Giuliani went ahead and made the barricades permanent. They remain to this day.
By
Ben Fried
5:50 PM EDT on July 12, 2013
Clarence has been unearthing old footage from the Streetfilms vault this summer in preparation for Transportation Alternatives’ 40th anniversary bash. This week’s installment takes us back to the end of 1997, when the Giuliani administration and NYPD erected pedestrian barricades in Midtown, preventing people from crossing major avenues to make way for turning traffic. TA’s protest got covered on all seven local newscasts, but Giuliani went ahead and made the barricades permanent. They remain to this day.
Before you hit play, guess which network led off its segment by proclaiming that “jaywalking is dangerous, slows down ambulances, and is downright rude.” Hint: It’s kind of surprising.
Ben Fried started as a Streetsblog reporter in 2008 and led the site as editor-in-chief from 2010 to 2018. He lives in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn, with his wife.
Read More:
More from Streetsblog New York City
State Bill Would Stop Highway Expansions Near Vulnerable New Yorkers
Assembly Member Emerita Torres's Stop Highway Community Harm Act would ban the state from expanding highways within 200 feet of public housing or in ZIP codes with the highest asthma-related emergency room visits in the state.
April 3, 2026
Study: How Capping Vehicle Sizes Could Help Save the World
...and why a multi-pronged transportation reform strategy is critical to curb climate change, slash road deaths, and more.
April 3, 2026
Friday’s Headlines: Margin For Terror Edition
The trendline for carnage is going the right way. But it ain't zero. Plus other news.
April 3, 2026
Talking Headways Podcast: Civil Rights, Civic Transport
Let's talk about "disparate impact" — and why the Trump administration wants to gut it.
April 3, 2026
UPDATE: Hit-And-Run Ambulance Driver Kills Woman on Deadly Ocean Avenue
The victim was taken to Maimonides Hospital, where she died. The driver fled. It turns out, he was driving an ambulance.
April 2, 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.