Podcasts about safe streets

Alleigh Weems, Senior Management Analyst at the city of Topeka, described her role supporting the public works department, focusing on procurement, capital improvement, and successful grant acquisition, including a nearly $5 million Safe Streets and Roads for All grant and a $25 million RAISE grant. She emphasized the importance of continuous improvement, professional networking, and stepping outside one's comfort zone for growth, despite challenges like federal funding freezes. Weems shared that a "win" is receiving a simple "thank you" for helping colleagues and that her community involvement enhances her public service. Give the episode a listen and remember to thank your local Public Works Professionals.

Trucks rumble, cones wobble and burgers sizzle—but the real story is how Dublin gets winter-ready long before the first snowflake. We're live from Dublin's SnowGo Roadeo where practice meets performance and friendly competition sharpens the skills to keep roads safe. You'll ride along with veteran staff, hear how new drivers learn to maneuver massive plows through tight turns, and pick up practical tips that make leaf collection smoother for everyone on your street.We talk with the Director of Public Service about snow school, route rehearsals and the rapid transition from a 10-week leaf program to full winter operations using the same vehicles. Our City Manager, Megan O'Callaghan, jumps into the big rig to feel the visibility challenges first-hand and shares how materials, equipment checks, and route familiarity all come together to protect the community. Then we geek out with the City's Data and Analytics Manager to unpack the SnowGo and LeafGo systems: sensors and GPS, automated vehicle location feeds, turn-by-turn route guidance and how prioritizing arterials, collectors and residential streets reduces deadheading while speeding recovery during storms.If you've ever wondered why your block gets plowed when it does, how the City tracks progress in real time, or what you can do to help crews move faster—like keeping leaf piles off the street and away from mailboxes—this conversation lays it all out. Preparation is quiet work, but when the storm hits, the results are loud and clear: safer streets, fewer delays and a community that understands the plan.Enjoy the on-the-road energy, meet the people behind the plows and the data, and see how planning, training, and technology turn winter weather into a manageable mission. And don't forget to follow the show, share it with a neighbor and leave a review to help more residents find these valuable insights

Join C4 and Bryan Nehman as they discuss President Donald Trump helping to reach a ceasefire deal between Israel and Gaza. Zeke Cohen joins the show to give updates on the status of the Baltimore City Council and the things they are trying to do to improve the city. Also, C4 and Bryan revisit their interview with Baltimore State's Attorney Ivan Bates, namely his comments on the community violence interrupters, Safe Streets. C4 and Bryan are live Monday through Friday from 5:30 Am to 10:00 am on WBAL News Radio 1090, FM 101.5, and the WBAL News Radio App.

In this episode, I connect with Dr. Catherine Elliot, an American living in Winterthur, Switzerland, just outside of Zürich, for a discussion about strategies for overcoming motonormativity, some research that she's been involved with in this realm, including the concept of E-Bike City, and the Moveable initiative.Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):

Hometown Radio 09/15/25 3p: John Dinunzio previews the SLO Safe Streets Forum

Elias Makos ends the week with Justine McIntyre, Strategic consultant and former city councillor, and Dan Delmar, Co-founder of the content marketing firm TNKR Media and co-host of the podcast Inspiring Entrepreneurs Canada. Downtown Montreal residents are planning to sue over a homeless shelter in their neighbourhood The population of Montreal will drop by 200 thousand by 2030 The federal government unveiled its first five projects that it wants speedy approval from the federal government The suspect in the shooting of U.S. conservative activist Charlie Kirk has been apprehended. Since the shooting, there has been a surprising amount of people sharing their glee about the shooting, even here in Quebec

Christine Corrado is a city councilmember in Brighton, New York. She's also the founder of Brighton Safe Streets for All and has served on a variety of city committees, from the Zoning Board of Appeals to the Public Works Committee. She and Norm discuss how she's making her community safer and more prosperous. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Brighton Safe Streets for All (Facebook) Christine Corrado LinkedIn Town of Brighton (site) Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn) Do you know someone who would make for a great The Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!   This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Click here to learn more about membership.

Since 1994, the Washington Department of Transportation has operated a roadside memorial program that allows for the creation and installation of signs along state highways in honor of victims of fatal collisions. Washington was the first state in the nation to start a roadside memorial program, and there are now more than 1,000 signs posted along state highways bearing a message such as “Reckless Driving Costs Lives” or “Please Don’t Drink and Drive” above the name of a crash victim. Nearly 70% of the roughly 500 signs installed in the first 15 years of the program are still standing.   The Columbian recently reported on WSDOT’s current efforts to collect public feedback  about the future of its roadside memorial program and possible changes to it, such as limiting how long the signs can be up for and how often they can be renewed by family members. Kelly Moyer, a staff reporter at The Columbian, joins us for more details, including concerns that family members who had paid for memorial signs shared with her.  We also hear from Sarah Risser, the treasurer and board member of the Portland chapter of the national nonprofit Families for Safe Streets. In 2019, while Risser was driving with her 18 year-old son in Wisconsin, a motorist crashed into the vehicle, killing her son and leaving her injured. Last year, Risser placed a sign honoring victims at every fatal crash site in Portland, and she has also created  bike memorials at the request of families of cyclists killed on Portland roads.

Portland road safety advocate Sarah Risser (Bike Loud, PBOT Pedestrian Advisory Committee, Families for Safe Streets) and I talk about the pros and cons of blaming individuals over the system when it comes to traffic crashes.This conversation was inspired by a social media post when I scolded a driver for causing a bad wreck. Sarah then suggested I watch a video about Safety Science from Transportation Alternatives and narrated by safety expert and There Are No Accidents author Jessie Singer.We dive into the need for blame, the limits of systems thinking (when our systems are totally dysfunctional), and several related issues around why fixing our broken streets and associated traffic culture is so challenging in America.

Government often moves slowly. This is a problem when there are immediate safety concerns for a street. The solution: Quick-build projects, which employ cheap and quick materials, like paint or plastic bollards. You may have seen this strategy in action, with new crosswalks and other improvements coming to local streets. Colin Fiske of the Coalition for Transportation Priorities joins the show to talk about quick-build projects and ways we can help identify other roads that need a tune-up.RESOURCES:Quick-Build ToolkitStreet StorySupport the show

BUY CAST BREW COFFEE TO SUPPORT THE SHOW - https://castbrew.com/ Become A Member And Protect Our Work at http://www.timcast.com Host: Tate Brown @realTateBrown (X & IG) Guest: Nick Sortor @nicksortor (X) My Second Channel - https://www.youtube.com/timcastnews Podcast Channel - https://www.youtube.com/TimcastIRL DC Crackdown In FULL SWING, Left Comes UNGLUED Over Safe Streets ft. Nick Sortor

Memphis, Tennessee, was ranked the #1 most dangerous metro area by Smart Growth America in 2024. That's not stopping Kelsey Huse, a safe streets advocate and grad student studying city and regional planning. She's tackling the problem head-on by analyzing car crash sites, helping launch a city-wide advocacy coalition, and raising awareness for safer infrastructure online. Today, Kelsey joins Tiffany to share the inside scoop on Memphis' dangerous design and how she's working to change it. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Local Recommendations: Lulu's Cafe Overton Park Follow Kelsey on Instagram at Memphis Urbanism Learn more about the Memphis Crash Analysis Studio. Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram) Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!   This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Click here to learn more about membership.

President Trump is putting law and order back on the front burner and Democrats are scrambling. Buck breaks down why crime is becoming a major weakness for the left, how D.C.’s unique federal oversight puts them in a corner, and why repeat violent offenders are driving America’s crime problem. Never miss a moment from Buck by subscribing to the Buck Sexton Show Podcast on IHeart Radio, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts! Connect with Buck Sexton:Facebook – / bucksexton X – @bucksexton Instagram – @bucksexton TikTok - @BuckSexton YouTube - @BuckSexton Website – https://www.bucksexton.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To kick off Season 10 of the Podcast, I have a conversation with Amy Cohen and Patty Avery, two dedicated volunteers with the Families for Safe Streets organization, about how this national initiative is taking bold steps to confront the epidemic of traffic violence and change the narrative surrounding the preventable casualties of motor vehicle crashes on our streets, including policies to address the built environment and deal with the egregious of speeders and reckless drivers causing a significant amount of carnage in our communities.Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to the podcast on your preferred listening platform. Also, don't forget to check out the Active Towns Channel for video content.Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):

Episode Show Page: https://www.rightsidemedia.org/rsr/7-29-25 Shop Merch: https://www.rightsidemedia.org/category/all

In this episode of the EMS One-Stop podcast, host Rob Lawrence sits down with returning guest Chief Robbie MacCue of Colonie EMS (New York) to explore the transformative potential of the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) federal grant program. Funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, SS4A aims to prevent roadway fatalities and enhance post-crash care. With $5 billion available nationwide and $900 million still on the table for FY25, this conversation is a call to action for EMS agencies across the country. Chief MacCue shares the story of how his department, in collaboration with neighboring EMS and police agencies, secured $2.4 million in SS4A funding for a project focused on innovative vehicle alert systems, prehospital health information exchange and groundwork for whole blood deployment. From demystifying the grant application to defining success metrics and compliance reporting, this episode breaks it all down — turning policy into practice, and complexity into impact. Memorable quotes “I was pretty taken back by the statistic that 40% of these patients were alive when EMS arrived and later died. Those are patients that are talking to us that are no longer living after a crash.” — Robbie MacCue “This isn't free money. It comes with reporting requirements, match funding and responsibility — but there's help out there, and it's absolutely worth it.” — Robbie MacCue “Our goal is to go upstream to the source of the problem. How do we stop the bleeding? How do we stop some of these accidents from actually happening?” — Robbie MacCue “We put a two-page narrative together that generated a $3,000,000 regional application … based on simple principles about statistics.” — Robbie MacCue “Post-crash care is definitely a missing element in the Safe System Approach … and EMS needs to be part of the solution, not just the response.” — Robbie MacCue “You don't have to have all the solutions right away. You just have to have the initiative to get with other like-minded people.” — Robbie MacCue “This project isn't just for crashes. It will also help us with high-utilizer patients and improve reimbursement accuracy by connecting data silos.” — Robbie MacCue “Somebody emailed me in the week to say that the EMS One-Stop podcast is the podcast that's able to turn a very complex EMS topic into a car bumper sticker. So there you go. If we're doing that and we can achieve that, then we're getting somewhere.” — Rob Lawrence Episode timeline 00:00-02:00 – Intro to SS4A and the scale of available funding ($5B) 02:00-04:00 – Why post-crash care matters: 42% of patients alive at EMS arrival die later 04:00-07:00 – How Colonie EMS discovered and approached the SS4A opportunity 07:00-10:00 – Building a regional grant application and tripling the funding 10:00-13:30 – Overview of the proposed project – transponder tech, health information exchange and whole blood 13:30-17:00 – Specific technology being explored and integration challenges 17:00-20:00 – Working with MPOs, consultants and navigating acronyms 20:00-25:00 – Finding the 20% match, leveraging in-kind contributions and funding timelines 25:00-30:00 – Federal reporting requirements and budgeting with SF-424A 30:00-35:00 – The big goal: Closing the outcome data loop and EMS-hospital data sharing 35:00-40:00 – Measuring success, from whole blood to vehicle alerts 40:00-42:30 – Robbie's final advice: “Don't be intimidated — reach out and apply.” ADDITIONAL RESOURCES SS4A Application Portal & Resources: Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program | US Department of Transportation NHTSA's Office of Emergency Medical Services | EMS.gov Lexipol Grants Support Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) database

How can we transform fragmented urban transportation networks into resilient, adaptive ecosystems that drive economic value while addressing complex societal challenges? In this episode of Ecosystemic Futures, host Marco Annunziata engages with Robin Hutcheson, whose multifaceted expertise spans the complex urban transportation ecosystem. The conversation explores how cities generate more than 80% of global GDP despite occupying limited physical space, and function as dynamic testbeds for next-generation mobility systems. Drawing from her leadership roles at USDOT, FMCSA, and city transportation departments, Robin shares data-driven insights about the 43,000 annual highway fatalities in America and the disproportionate impact on pedestrians. HighlightsMarket Transformation: Cities generate 80% of global GDP while housing 56% of the world's population, creating an unprecedented market opportunity for integrated mobility solutions as urbanization accelerates to 70% by 2050.System Failure Metrics: The 43,000 annual American highway fatalities represent a systemic market inefficiency with disproportionate impacts on vulnerable populations, signaling urgent demand for transformative intervention and cross-sector collaboration.Funding Catalysts: The $5 billion Safe Streets for All program demonstrates how policy innovations can create new market structures connecting federal capital, local implementation, and private sector solutions—a replicable framework for other ecosystem transformations.Digital Twin Integration: Curb space digitization represents a breakthrough application of digital twin technology, creating a networked intelligence layer that optimizes multi-modal system performance across freight logistics, emissions reduction, and public space allocation.Strategic Intervention Points: Urban arterials function as critical nodes where targeted technological and infrastructure interventions can simultaneously cascade improvements across safety, climate, and equity metrics, offering maximum return on transformation investment. The discussion reveals how orchestrating urban mobility requires coordinated physical and digital interventions that break traditional sector boundaries. Robin demonstrates how systems-based orchestration can transform our fragmented approach to urban mobility into adaptive, resilient networks that simultaneously unlock economic value, reduce negative externalities, and create more equitable outcomes—a model applicable to multiple complex system transformations beyond transportation. #EcosystemOrchestration #DigitalTwinInfrastructure #SystemsTransformation #TransportationFinance #ComplexAdaptiveNetworks #UrbanMobilityValue #CrossSectorCollaboration #NextGenCityDesign #DataDrivenUrbanization #ConvexInnovationGuest: Robin Hutcheson, Hutcheson Advisory, LLCHost: Marco Annunziata, Co-Founder, Annunziata Desai Partners Series Hosts:Vikram Shyam, Lead Futurist, NASA Glenn Research CenterDyan Finkhousen, Founder & CEO, Shoshin Works Ecosystemic Futures is provided by NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration Convergent Aeronautics Solutions Project in collaboration with Shoshin Works.

In the first-ever Friday night edition of Spellbreakers, Matt Trump kicks off the weekend with a deeply personal and freewheeling exploration of nostalgia, geography, politics, and classic Americana. Broadcasting solo, Matt uses the episode as a canvas to reminisce on his college days in Oregon, share reflections on his life as a physicist and AI researcher at Arizona State, and explore the cultural and political shifts unfolding in both Oregon and America at large. With the state of Oregon as a central character, Matt takes listeners on a tour of the Willamette Valley, recounts the strange symbolism of Oregon's state capitol, and advocates for unity over secession in the face of eastern Oregon's push to join Idaho. He blends this civic reflection with commentary on Trump's evolving relationship with Israel, race and free speech in America, and the importance of cultural memory. In a highlight moment, Matt dives into a musical tribute to Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, analyzing its symbolism, romantic energy, and portrayal of mid-century American ideals. He even plays the film's opening number, “Bless Your Beautiful Hide,” as part of his broader campaign to remind listeners of the joy and courage in American storytelling. Backed by sponsors BlockTrust IRA and Safe Streets, and peppered with audience shoutouts, movie trivia, and TCM reverence, this episode feels like an intimate fireside chat, equal parts homespun history, media commentary, and heartland revivalism. Spellbreakers Friday nights have arrived, and Matt's determined to make them count.

LAist is launching a new guide to help you with school choice. Members of the Vietnamese diaspora in SoCal are commemorating Black April today. Mayor Karen Bass's budget proposal could make it harder for L.A. to make its streets safer. Plus, more.Support The L.A. Report by donating at LAist.com/join and by visiting https://laist.comVisit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency!Support the show: https://laist.com

In this episode, we discuss intelligent speed assistance technology and legislation with Amy Cohen and Tammy McGee from Families for Safe Streets.  Host: Ian Grossman Producer: Claire Jeffrey and Chelsey Hadwin Music: Gibson Arthur   This episode is brought to you by CHAMP. CHAMP's government suite modernizes DMVs with a secure, configurable platform that replaces or enhances existing systems. Say goodbye to paperwork and delays—CHAMP streamlines operations, accelerates transactions, and simplifies workflows so your team can focus on serving constituents efficiently. Learn more at CHAMPtitles.com.

Content warning: this episode has descriptions of gun violence. This is our weekly Wednesday politics episode. City Council is in the middle of hearings over the mayor's proposed budget, and Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, who represents the 3rd District, says there's a lot of things she's excited about. Host Trenae Nuri sat down with her in her City Hall office to discuss why she's excited about the $800M proposed investment in housing, keeping streets safe and pushing back on Washington politics.  Get Philly news & events in your inbox with our newsletter: Hey Philly Call or text us: 215-259-8170 We're also on Instagram: @citycastphilly Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:  Prolonlife.com/city - Use this link for 15% off Fitler Club Advertise on the podcast or in the newsletter: citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's guest is Peter Moskos, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He spent two years as a police officer in Baltimore. I asked him to come on and talk about his new book, Back from the Brink, Inside the NYPD and New York City's Extraordinary 1990s Crime Drop. It's one of my favorite books I've read this year (and it was one of my three book recommendations on Ezra Klein's show last week).Peter spoke with hundreds of police officers and NYC officials to understand and describe exactly how the city's leaders in the early 1990s managed to drive down crime so successfully.We discussed:* How bad did things get in the 1970s?* Why did processing an arrest take so long?* What did Bill Bratton and other key leaders do differently?* How did police get rid of the squeegee men?I've included my reading list at the bottom of this piece. Thanks to Harry Fletcher-Wood for his judicious transcript edits.Subscribe for one new interview a week.Peter, how would you describe yourself?I would say I'm a criminologist: my background is sociology, but I am not in the sociology department. I'm not so big on theory, and sociology has a lot of theory. I was a grad student at Harvard in sociology and worked as a police officer [in Baltimore] and that became my dissertation and first book, Cop in the Hood. I've somewhat banked my career on those 20 months in the police department.Not a lot of sociologists spend a couple of years working a police beat.It's generally frowned upon, both for methodological reasons and issues of bias. But there is also an ideological opposition in a lot of academia to policing. It's seen as going to the dark side and something to be condemned, not understood.Sociologists said crime can't go down unless we fix society first. It's caused by poverty, racism, unemployment, and social and economic factors — they're called the root causes. But they don't seem to have a great impact on crime, as important as they are. When I'm in grad school, murders dropped 30-40% in New York City. At the same time, Mayor Giuliani is slashing social spending, and poverty is increasing. The whole academic field is just wrong. I thought it an interesting field to get into.We're going to talk about your new book, which is called Back from the Brink, Inside the NYPD and New York City's Extraordinary 1990s Crime Drop. I had a blast reading it. Tell me about the process of writing it.A lot of this is oral history, basically. But supposedly people don't like buying books that are called oral histories. It is told entirely from the perspective of police officers who were on the job at the time. I would not pretend I talked to everyone, because there were 30,000+ cops around, but I spoke to many cops and to all the major players involved in the 1990s crime drop in New York City.I was born in the ‘90s, and I had no idea about a crazy statistic you cite: 25% of the entire national crime decline was attributable to New York City's crime decline.In one year, yeah. One of the things people say to diminish the role of policing is that the crime drop happened everywhere — and it did end up happening almost everywhere. But I think that is partly because what happened in New York City was a lot of hard work, but it wasn't that complicated. It was very easy to propagate, and people came to New York to find out what was going on. You could see results, literally in a matter of months.It happened first in New York City. Really, it happened first in the subways and that's interesting, because if crime goes down in the subways [which, at the time, fell under the separate New York City Transit Police] and not in the rest of the city, you say, “What is going on in the subways that is unique?” It was the exact same strategies and leadership that later transformed the NYPD [New York Police Department].Set the scene: What was the state of crime and disorder in New York in the ‘70s and into the ‘80s?Long story short, it was bad. Crime in New York was a big problem from the late ‘60s up to the mid ‘90s, and the ‘70s is when the people who became the leaders started their careers. So these were defining moments. The city was almost bankrupt in 1975 and laid off 5,000 cops; 3,000 for a long period of time. That was arguably the nadir. It scarred the police department and the city.Eventually, the city got its finances in order and came to the realization that “we've got a big crime problem too.” That crime problem really came to a head with crack cocaine. Robberies peaked in New York City in 1980. There were above 100,000 robberies in 1981, and those are just reported robberies. A lot of people get robbed and just say, “It's not worth it to report,” or, “I'm going to work,” or, “Cops aren't going to do anything.” The number of robberies and car thefts was amazingly high. The trauma, the impact on the city and on urban space, and people's perception of fear, all comes from that. If you're afraid of crime, it's high up on the hierarchy of needs.To some extent, those lessons have been lost or forgotten. Last year there were 16,600 [robberies], which is a huge increase from a few years ago, but we're still talking an 85% reduction compared to the worst years. It supposedly wasn't possible. What I wanted to get into in Back from the Brink was the actual mechanisms of the crime drop. I did about fifty formal interviews and hundreds of informal interviews building the story. By and large, people were telling the same story.In 1975, the city almost goes bankrupt. It's cutting costs everywhere, and it lays off more than 5,000 cops, about 20% of the force, in one day. There's not a new police academy class until 1979, four years later. Talk to me about where the NYPD was at that time.They were retrenched, and the cops were demoralized because “This is how the city treats us?” The actual process of laying off the cops itself was just brutal: they went to work, and were told once they got to work that they were no longer cops. “Give me your badge, give me your gun."The city also was dealing with crime, disorder, and racial unrest. The police department was worried about corruption, which was a legacy of the Knapp Commission [which investigated NYPD corruption] and [Frank] Serpico [a whistleblowing officer]. It's an old police adage, that if you don't work, you can't get in trouble. That became very much the standard way of doing things. Keep your head low, stay out of trouble, and you'll collect your paycheck and go home.You talk about the blackout in 1977, when much of the city lost power and you have widespread looting and arson. 13,000 off-duty cops get called in during the emergency, and only about 5,000 show up, which is a remarkable sign of the state of morale.The person in my book who's talking about that is Louis Anemone. He showed up because his neighbor and friend and partner was there, and he's got to help him. It was very much an in-the-foxholes experience. I contrast that with the more recent blackout, in which the city went and had a big block party instead. That is reflective of the change that happened in the city.In the mid-80s you get the crack cocaine epidemic. Talk to me about how police respond.From a political perspective, that era coincided with David Dinkins as [New York City's first black] mayor. He was universally disliked, to put it mildly, by white and black police officers alike. He was seen as hands off. He was elected in part to improve racial relations in New York City, to mitigate racial strife, but in Crown Heights and Washington Heights, there were riots, and racial relations got worse. He failed at the level he was supposed to be good at. Crime and quality of life were the major issues in that election.Dinkins's approach to the violence is centered around what they called “community policing.” Will you describe how Dinkins and political leaders in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s thought about policing?This is under Ben Ward, the [NYPD] Commissioner at the time. The mayor appoints the police commissioner — and the buck does stop with the mayor — but the mayor is not actively involved in day-to-day operations. That part does go down to the police department.Community policing was seen as an attempt to improve relations between the police and the community. The real goal was to lessen racial strife and unrest between black (and to a lesser extent Hispanic) communities and the NYPD. Going back to the ‘60s, New York had been rocked by continued unrest in neighborhoods like Central Harlem, East New York, and Bushwick. Community policing was seen as saying that police are partly to blame, and we want to improve relations. Some of it was an attempt to get the community more involved in crime fighting.It's tough. It involves a certain rosy view of the community, but that part of the community isn't causing the problems. It avoids the fact there are people who are actively criming and are willing to hurt people who get in their way. Community policing doesn't really address the active criminal element, that is a small part of any community, including high-crime communities.Arrests increased drastically during this era, more than in the ‘90s with broken windows policing. If the idea is to have fewer arrests, it didn't happen in the ‘80s. Some good came out of it, because it did encourage cops to be a bit more active and cops are incentivized by overtime. Arrests were so incredibly time-consuming, which kind of defeated the purpose of community policing. If you made an arrest in that era, there was a good chance you might spend literally 24 hours processing the arrest.Will you describe what goes into that 24 hours?From my experience policing in Baltimore, I knew arrests were time-consuming and paperwork redundant, but I could process a simple arrest in an hour or two. Even a complicated one that involved juveniles and guns and drugs, we're talking six to eight hours.In the ‘80s, Bob Davin, [in the] Transit Police, would say they'd make an arrest, process at the local precinct, search him in front of a desk officer, print him, and then they would have to get a radio car off patrol to drive you down to central booking at 100 Centre Street [New York City Criminal Court]. Then they would fingerprint him. They didn't have the live scan fingerprints machine, it was all ink. It had to be faxed up to Albany and the FBI to see if it hit on any warrant federally and for positive identification of the person. Sometimes it took 12 hours to have the prints come back and the perp would be remanded until that time. Then you'd have to wait for the prosecutor to get their act together and to review all the paperwork. You couldn't consider bail unless the prints came back either positive or negative and then you would have that initial arraignment and the cop could then go home. There are a lot of moving parts, and they moved at a glacial pace.The system often doesn't work 24/7. A lot of this has changed, but some of it was having to wait until 9 am for people to show up to go to work, because it's not a single system. The courts, the jails, and policing all march to their own drummer, and that created a level of inefficiency.So much of the nitty-gritty of what cops actually do is boring, behind-the-scenes stuff: How do we speed up the paperwork? Can we group prisoners together? Can we do some of this at the police station instead of taking it downtown? Is all of this necessary? Can we cooperate with the various prosecutors? There are five different prosecutors in New York City, one for each borough.There's not a great incentive to streamline this. Cops enjoyed the overtime. That's one of the reasons they would make arrests. So during this time, if a cop makes an arrest for drug dealing, that cop is gone and no cop was there to replace him. If it's a minor arrest, there's a good chance in the long run charges will be dropped anyway. And you're taking cops off the street. In that sense, it's lose-lose. But, you have to think, “What's the alternative?”Bob Davin is a fascinating guy. There's a famous picture from 1981 by Martha Cooper of two cops on a subway train. It's graffitied up and they're in their leather jackets and look like cops from the ‘70s. Martha Cooper graciously gave me permission to use the picture, but she said, "You have to indemnify me because I don't have a release form. I don't know who the cops are." I said, "Martha, I do know who the cop is, because he's in my book and he loves the picture.” Bob Davin is the cop on the right.Davin says that things started to get more efficient. They had hub sites in the late ‘80s or ‘90s, so precincts in the north of Manhattan could bring their prisoners there, and you wouldn't have to take a car out of service to go back to Central Booking and deal with traffic. They started collecting prisoners and bringing them en masse on a small school bus, and that would cut into overtime. Then moving to electronic scan fingerprints drastically saves time waiting for those to come back.These improvements were made, but some of them involve collective bargaining with unions, to limit overtime and arrests that are made for the pure purpose of overtime. You want cops making arrests for the right reason and not simply to make money. But boy, there was a lot of money made in arrests.In 1991, you have the infamous Crown Heights riot in Brooklyn. Racial tensions kick off. It's a nightmare for the mayor, there's this sense that he has lost control. The following year, you have this infamous police protest at City Hall where it becomes clear the relationship between the cops and the mayor has totally evaporated. How does all that play into the mayoral race between Dinkins and Giuliani?It was unintentional, but a lot of the blame for Crown Heights falls on the police department. The part of the story that is better known is that there was a procession for a Hasidic rabbi that was led by a police car. He would go to his wife's grave, and he got a little three-car motorcade. At some point, the police look at this and go "Why are we doing this? We're going to change it." The man who made the deal said ‘I"m retiring in a couple weeks, can we just leave it till then? Because I gave him my word." They're like, "Alright, whatever."This motor car procession is then involved in a car crash, and a young child named Gavin Cato is killed, and another girl is severely injured. The volunteer, Jewish-run ambulance shows up and decides they don't have the equipment: they call for a professional city ambulance. Once that ambulance is on the way, they take the mildly-injured Jewish people to the hospital. The rumor starts that the Jewish ambulance abandoned the black children to die.This isn't the first incident. There's long been strife over property and who the landlord is. But this was the spark that set off riots. A young Jewish man was randomly attacked on the street and was killed.As an aside, he also shouldn't have died, but at the hospital they missed internal bleeding.Meanwhile, the police department has no real leadership at the time. One chief is going to retire, another is on vacation, a third doesn't know what he's doing, and basically everyone is afraid to do anything. So police do nothing. They pull back, and you have three days of very anti-Semitic riots. Crowds chanting "Kill the Jews" and marching on the Lubavitch Hasidic Headquarters. Al Sharpton shows up. The riots are blamed on Dinkins, which is partly fair, but a lot of that's on the NYPD. Finally, the mayor and the police commissioner go to see what's going on and they get attacked. It's the only time in New York City history that there's ever been an emergency call from the police commissioner's car. People are throwing rocks at it.It took three days to realise this, but that's when they say “We have to do something here,” and they gather a group of officers who later become many of Bratton's main chiefs at the time [Bill Bratton was Commissioner of the NYPD from 1994-1996, under Giuliani]: Mike Julian, Louis Anemone, Ray Kelly, and [John] Timoney. They end the unrest in a day. They allow people to march, they get the police department to set rules. It still goes on for a bit, but no one gets hurt after that, and that's it.It was a huge, national story at the time, but a lot of the details were not covered. Reporters were taken from their car and beaten and stripped. The significance was downplayed at the time, especially by the New York Times, I would say.That's followed by the Washington Heights riots, which is a different story. A drug dealer was shot and killed by cops. There were rumors, which were proven to be false, that he was executed and unarmed. Then there were three days of rioting there. It wasn't quite as severe, but 53 cops were hurt, 120 stores were set on fire, and Mayor Dinkins paid for the victim's family to go to the Dominican Republic for the funeral. The police perspective again was, “You're picking the wrong side here.”Then there's the so-called Police Riot at City Hall. Nominally, it was about the CCRB, the Civilian Complaint Review Board, and setting up an accountability mechanism to control cops. But really it was just an anti-Dinkins protest. It was drunken and unruly. The cops stormed the steps of City Hall. I have the account of one of the cops who was on the top of those steps looking at this mob of cops storming to him, and he's getting worried he's going to be killed in a crush. There were racist chants from off-duty cops in the crowd. It did not reflect well on police officers. But it showed this hatred of David Dinkins, who was seen as siding with criminals and being anti-police. The irony is that Dinkins is the one who ends up hiring all the cops that Giuliani gets credit for.In the “Safe Streets, Safe City” program?Yes. That was because a white tourist, Brian Watkins, was killed in a subway station protecting his parents who were getting robbed. That led to the famous headline [in the New York Post] of “Dave, do something! Crime-ravaged city cries out for help.” He, with City Council President Peter Vallone, Sr., drafted and pushed through this massive hiring of police officers, “Safe Streets, Safe City.”The hiring wasn't fast-tracked. It might be because Dinkins's people didn't really want more cops. But it was a Dinkins push that got a massive hiring of cops. When the first huge class of police officers graduated, Bill Bratton was there and not David Dinkins.Some interviewees in your book talk about how there's physically not enough room in the police academies at this time, so they have to run classes 24/7. You cycle cohorts in and out of the same classroom, because there are too many new cops for the facilities.You have thousands of cops going through it at once. Everyone describes it as quite a chaotic scene. But it would have been hard to do what the NYPD did without those cops. Ray Kelly, who was police commissioner under Dinkins at the end [from 1992 to 1994] before he became police commissioner for 12 years under Bloomberg [from 2002 to 2013] probably could have done something with those cops too, but he never had the chance, because the mayoral leadership at the time was much more limiting in what they wanted cops to do.Crime starts declining slowly in the first few years of the ‘90s under Dinkins, and then in ‘93 Giuliani wins a squeaker of a mayoral election against Dinkins.One of the major issues was the then-notorious “squeegee men” of New York City. These were guys who would go to cars stopped at bridges and tunnel entrances and would rub a squeegee over the windshield asking for money. It was unpleasant, intimidating, and unwanted, and it was seen as one of those things that were just inevitable. Like graffiti on the subway in the ‘80s. Nothing we can do about it because these poor people don't have jobs or housing or whatever.The irony is that Bratton and Giuliani were happy to take credit for that, and it was an issue in the mayoral campaign, but it was solved under David Dinkins and Ray Kelly and Mike Julian with the help of George Kelling [who, with James Wilson, came up with broken windows theory]. But they never got credit for it. One wonders if, had they done that just a few months earlier, it would have shifted the entire campaign and we'd have a different course of history in New York City.It's a great example of a couple of things that several people in your book talk about. One is that disorder is often caused by a very small set of individuals. There's only like 70 squeegee men, yet everybody sees them, because they're posted up at the main tunnel and bridge entrances to Manhattan. And getting them off the streets solves the problem entirely.Another emphasis in the book is how perceptions of crime are central. You quote Jack Maple, the father of Compstat, as saying, “A murder on the subway counts as a multiple murder up on the street, because everybody feels like that's their subway.” The particular locations of crimes really affect public perception.Absolutely. Perception is reality for a lot of these things, because most people aren't victimized by crime. But when people perceive that no one is in control they feel less safe. It's not that this perception is false, it just might not be directly related to an actual criminal act.The other thing I try to show is that it's not just saying, “We've got to get rid of squeegee men. How do you do it?” They had tried before, but this is why you need smart cops and good leadership, because it's a problem-solving technique, and the way to get rid of graffiti is different to the way you get rid of squeegee men.This book is in opposition to those who just say, “We can't police our way out of this problem.” No, we can. We can't police our way out of every problem. But if you define the problem as, we don't want people at intersections with squeegees, of course we can police our way out of the problem, using legal constitutional tools. You need the political will. And then the hard work starts, because you have to figure out how to actually do it.Will you describe how they tackle the squeegee men problem?Mike Julian was behind it. They hired George Kelling, who's known for broken windows. They said, “These people are here to make money. So to just go there and make a few arrests isn't going to solve the problem.” First of all, he had to figure out what legal authority [to use], and he used Traffic Reg 44 [which prohibits pedestrians from soliciting vehicle occupants]. He talked to Norm Siegel of the NYCLU [New York Civil Liberties Union] about this, who did not want this crackdown to happen. But Norman said, “Okay, this is the law, I can't fight that one. You're doing it legally. It's all in the books.” And So that took away that opposition.But the relentless part of it is key. First they filmed people. Then, when it came to enforcement, they warned people. Then they cited people, and anybody that was left they arrested. They did not have to arrest many people, because the key is they did this every four hours. It was that that changed behavior, because even a simple arrest isn't going to necessarily deter someone if it's a productive way to make money. But being out there every four hours for a couple of weeks or months was enough to get people to do something else. What that something else is, we still don't know, but we solved the squeegee problem.So in 93, Giuliani is elected by something like 50,000 votes overall. Just as an aside, in Prince of the City, Fred Siegel describes something I had no idea about. There's a Puerto Rican Democratic Councilman who flips and supports Giuliani. Mayor Eric Adams, who at the time was the head of a nonprofit for black men in law enforcement, calls him a race traitor for doing that and for being married to a white woman. There was a remarkable level of racial vitriol in that race that I totally missed.10 years ago when I started this, I asked if I could interview then-Brooklyn borough president Eric Adams, and he said yes, and the interview kept getting rescheduled, and I said, “Eh, I don't need him.” It's a regret of mine. I should have pursued that, but coulda, woulda, shoulda.Giuliani is elected, and he campaigns very explicitly on a reducing crime and disorder platform. And he hires Bill Bratton. Tell me about Bratton coming on board as NYPD commissioner.Bratton grew up in Boston, was a police officer there, became head of the New York City Transit Police when that was a separate police department. Right before he becomes NYPD Commissioner, he's back in Boston, as the Chief of Police there, and there is a movement among certain people to get Bratton the NYC job. They succeed in that, and Bratton is a very confident man. He very much took a broken windows approach and said, “We are going to focus on crime.” He has a right-hand man by the name of Jack Maple who he knows from the Transit Police. Maple is just a lieutenant in transit, and Bratton makes him the de facto number two man in the police department.Jack Maple passed away in 2001 and I didn't know what I was going to do, because it's hard to interview a man who's no longer alive. Chris Mitchell co-wrote Jack Maple's autobiography called Crime Fighter and he graciously gave me all the micro-cassettes of the original interviews he conducted with Maple around 1998. Everyone has a Jack Maple story. He's probably the most important character in Back from the Brink.Jack Maple comes in, no one really knows who he is, no one respects him because he was just a lieutenant in Transit. He goes around and asks a basic question — this is 1994 — he says, “How many people were shot in New York City in 1993?” And nobody knows. That is the state of crime-fighting in New York City before this era. There might have been 7,000 people shot in New York City in 1990 and we just don't know, even to this day.One citation from your book: in 1993, an average of 16 people were shot every day. Which is just remarkable.And remember, shootings have been declining for two or three years before that! But nobody knew, because they weren't keeping track of shootings, because it's not one of the FBI Uniform Crime Report [which tracks crime data nationally] index crimes. But wouldn't you be curious? It took Jack Maple to be curious, so he made people count, and it was findable, but you had to go through every aggravated assault and see if a gun was involved. You had to go through every murder from the previous year and see if it was a shooting. He did this. So we only have shooting data in New York City going back to 1993. It's just a simple process of caring.The super-short version of Back from the Brink is it was a change in mission statement: “We're going to care about crime.” Because they hadn't before. They cared about corruption, racial unrest, brutality, and scandal. They cared about the clearance rate for robbery a bit. You were supposed to make three arrests for every ten robberies. It didn't matter so much that you were stopping a pattern or arresting the right person, as long as you had three arrests for every ten reported crimes, that was fine.This is a story about people who cared. They're from this city — Bratton wasn't, but most of the rest are. They understood the trauma of violence and the fact that people with families were afraid to go outside, and nobody in the power structure seemed to care. So they made the NYPD care about this. Suddenly, the mid-level police executives, the precinct commanders, had to care. and the meetings weren't about keeping overtime down, instead they were about ”What are you doing to stop this shooting?”Tell listeners a little bit more about Jack Maple, because he's a remarkable character, and folks may not know what a kook he was.I think he was a little less kooky than he liked to present. His public persona was wearing a snazzy cat and spats and dressing like a fictional cartoon detective from his own mind, but he's a working-class guy from Queens who becomes a transit cop.When Bratton takes over, he writes a letter up the chain of command saying this is what we should do. Bratton read it and said, “This guy is smart.” Listening to 80 hours of Jack Maple, everyone correctly says he was a smart guy, but he had a very working-class demeanor and took to the elite lifestyle. He loved hanging out and getting fancy drinks at the Plaza Hotel. He was the idea man of the NYPD. Everyone has a Jack Maple imitation. “You're talking to the Jackster,” he'd say. He had smart people working under him who were supportive of this. But it was very much trying to figure out as they went along, because the city doesn't stop nor does it sleep.He was a bulls***er, but he's the one who came up with the basic outline of the strategy of crime reduction in New York City. He famously wrote it on a napkin at Elaine's, and it said, “First, we need to gather accurate and timely intelligence.” And that was, in essence, CompStat. “Then, we need to deploy our cops to where they need to be.” That was a big thing. He found out that cops weren't working: specialized units weren't working weekends and nights when the actual crime was happening. They had their excuses, but basically they wanted a cushy schedule. He changed that. Then, of course, you have to figure out what you're doing, what the effective tactics are. Then, constant follow up and assessment.You can't give up. You can't say “Problem solved.” A lot of people say it wasn't so much if your plan didn't work, you just needed a Plan B. It was the idea that throwing your hands in the air and saying, “What are you going to do?” that became notoriously unacceptable under Chief Anemone's stern demeanor at CompStat. These were not pleasant meetings. Those are the meetings that both propagated policies that work and held officers accountable. There was some humiliation going on, so CompStat was feared.Lots of folks hear CompStat and think about better tracking of crime locations and incidents. But as you flesh out, the meat on the bones of CompStat was this relentless follow-up. You'd have these weekly meetings early in the morning with all the precinct heads. There were relentless asks from the bosses, “What's going on in your district or in your precinct? Can you explain why this is happening? What are you doing to get these numbers down?” And follow-ups the following week or month. It was constant.CompStat is often thought of as high-tech computer stuff. It wasn't. There was nothing that couldn't have been done with old overhead projectors. It's just that no one had done it before. Billy Gorta says it's a glorified accountability system at a time when nobody knew anything about computers. Everyone now has access to crime maps on a computer. It was about actually gathering accurate, timely data.Bratton was very concerned that these numbers had to be right. It was getting everyone in the same room and saying, “This is what our focus is going to be now.” And getting people to care about crime victims, especially when those crime victims might be unsympathetic because of their demeanor, criminal activity, or a long arrest record. “We're going to care about every shooting, we're going to care about every murder.”Part of it was cracking down on illegal guns. There were hundreds of tactics. The federal prosecutors also played a key role. It was getting this cooperation. Once it started working and Giuliani made it a major part of claiming success as mayor, suddenly everyone wanted to be part of this, and you had other city agencies trying to figure it out. So it was a very positive feedback loop, once it was seen as a success.When Bratton came on the job, he said, “I'm going to bring down crime 15%.” No police commissioner had ever said that before. In the history of policing before 1994, no police commissioner ever promised a double-digit reduction in crime or even talked about it. People said “That's crazy.” It was done, and then year after year. That's the type of confidence that they had. They were surprised it worked as well as it did, but they all had the sense that there's a new captain on this ship, and we're trying new things. It was an age of ideas and experiment.And it was a very short time.That's the other thing that surprised me. Giuliani fired Bratton in the middle of ‘96.It's remarkable. Bratton comes in ‘94, and August 1994 is where you see crime drop off a cliff. You have this massive beginning of the reduction that continues.That inflection point is important for historical knowledge. I don't address alternatives that other people have proposed [to explain the fall in crime] — For example, the reduction in lead [in gasoline, paint, and water pipes] or legalized abortion with Roe v. Wade [proposed by Stephen Dubner].Reasonable people can differ. Back from the Brink focuses on the police part of the equation. Today, almost nobody, except for a few academics, says that police had nothing to do with the crime drop. That August inflection is key, because there is nothing in a lagged time analysis going back 20 years that is going to say that is the magic month where things happened. Yet if you look at what happened in CompStat, that's the month they started getting individual officer data, and noticing that most cops made zero arrests, and said, “Let's get them in the game as well.” And that seemed to be the key; that's when crime fell off the table. The meetings started in April, I believe, but August is really when the massive crime drop began.To your point about the confidence that crime could be driven down double digits year over year, there's a great quote you have from Jack Maple, where he says to a fellow cop, “This is going to be like shooting fish in a barrel. As long as we have absolute control, we can absolutely drive this number into the floor.”One detail I enjoyed was that Jack Maple, when he was a transit cop, would camp out under a big refrigerator box with little holes cut out for eyes and sit on the subway platform waiting for crooks.For people who are interested in Jack Maple, it is worth reading his autobiography, Crime Fighter. Mike Daly wrote New York's Finest, which uses the same tapes that I had access to, and he is much more focused on that. He's actually the godfather of Jack Maple's son, who is currently a New York City police officer. But Maple and co were confident, and it turned out they were right.As well as having changes in tactics and approach and accountability across the NYPD, you also have a series of specific location cleanups. You have a specific initiative focused on the Port Authority, which is a cesspool at the time, an initiative in Times Square, the Bryant Park cleanup, and then Giuliani also focuses on organized crime on the Fulton Fish Market, and this open-air market in Harlem.I was struck that there was both this general accountability push in the NYPD through CompStat, and a relentless focus on cleaning up individual places that were hubs of disorder.I'm not certain the crime drop would have happened without reclamation of public spaces and business improvement districts. Bryant Park's a fascinating story because Dan Biederman, who heads the Corporation, said, “People just thought it was like a lost cause, this park can't be saved. The city is in a spiral of decline.” He uses Jane Jacobs' “eyes on the street” theory and then George Kelling and James Q. Wilson's broken windows theory. The park has money — not city money, but from local property owners — and it reopens in 1991 to great acclaim and is still a fabulous place to be. It showed for the first time that public space was worth saving and could be saved. New York City at the time needed that lesson. It's interesting that today, Bryant Park has no permanent police presence and less crime. Back in the ‘80s, Bryant Park had an active police presence and a lot more crime.The first class I ever taught when I started at John Jay College in 2004, I was talking about broken windows. A student in the class named Jeff Marshall, who is in my book, told me about Operation Alternatives at the Port Authority. He had been a Port Authority police officer at the time, and I had not heard of this. People are just unaware of this part of history. It very much has lessons for today, because in policing often there's nothing new under the sun. It's just repackaged, dusted off, and done again. The issue was, how do we make the Port Authority safe for passengers? How do we both help and get rid of people living in the bus terminal? It's a semi-public space, so it makes it difficult. There was a social services element about it, that was Operational Alternatives. A lot of people took advantage of that and got help. But the flip side was, you don't have to take services, but you can't stay here.I interviewed the manager of the bus terminal. He was so proud of what he did. He's a bureaucrat, a high-ranking one, but a port authority manager. He came from the George Washington Bridge, which he loved. And he wonders, what the hell am I going to do with this bus terminal? But the Port Authority cared, because they're a huge organization and that's the only thing with their name on it — They also control JFK Airport and bridges and tunnels and all the airports, but people call the bus terminal Port Authority.They gave him almost unlimited money and power and said, “Fix it please, do what you've got to do,” and he did. It was environmental design, giving police overtime so they'd be part of this, a big part of it was having a social service element so it wasn't just kicking people out with nowhere to go.Some of it was also setting up rules. This also helped Bratton in the subway, because this happened at the same time. The court ruled that you can enforce certain rules in the semi-public spaces. It was not clear until this moment whether it was constitutional or not. To be specific, you have a constitutional right to beg on the street, but you do not have a constitutional right to beg on the subway. That came down to a court decision. Had that not happened, I don't know if in the long run the crime drop would have happened.That court decision comes down to the specific point that it's not a free-speech right on the subway to panhandle, because people can't leave, because you've got them trapped in that space.You can't cross the street to get away from it. But it also recognized that it wasn't pure begging, that there was a gray area between aggressive begging and extortion and robbery.You note that in the early 1990s, one-third of subway commuters said they consciously avoided certain stations because of safety, and two thirds felt coerced to give money by aggressive panhandling.The folks in your book talk a lot about the 80/20 rule applying all over the place. That something like 20% of the people you catch are committing 80% of the crimes.There's a similar dynamic that you talk about on the subways, both in the book and in your commentary over the past couple years about disorder in New York. You say approximately 2,000 people with serious mental illness are at risk for street homelessness, and these people cycle through the cities, streets, subways, jails, and hospitals.What lessons from the ‘90s can be applied today for both helping those people and stopping them being a threat to others?Before the ‘80s and Reagan budget cuts there had been a psychiatric system that could help people. That largely got defunded. [Deinstitutionalization began in New York State earlier, in the 1960s.] We did not solve the problem of mental health or homelessness in the ‘90s, but we solved the problem of behavior. George Kelling [of broken windows theory] emphasized this repeatedly, and people would ignore it. We are not criminalizing homelessness or poverty. We're focusing on behavior that we are trying to change. People who willfully ignore that distinction almost assume that poor people are naturally disorderly or criminal, or that all homeless people are twitching and threatening other people. Even people with mental illness can behave in a public space.Times have changed a bit. I think there are different drugs now that make things arguably a bit worse. I am not a mental health expert, but we do need more involuntary commitment, not just for our sake, but for theirs, people who need help. I pass people daily, often the same person, basically decomposing on a subway stop in the cold. They are offered help by social services, and they say no. They should not be allowed to make that choice because they're literally dying on the street in front of us. Basic humanity demands that we be a little more aggressive in forcing people who are not making rational decisions, because now you have to be an imminent threat to yourself or others. That standard does need to change. But there also need to be mental health beds available for people in this condition.I don't know what the solution is to homelessness or mental health. But I do know the solution to public disorder on the subway and that's, regardless of your mental state or housing status, enforcing legal, constitutional rules, policing behavior. It does not involve locking everybody up. It involves drawing the line between acceptable and unacceptable behavior. It's amazing how much people will comply with those rules.That presents the idea that someone's in charge, it's not a free-for-all. You get that virtuous loop, which New York had achieved in 2014–2016, when crime was at an all-time low in the city. Then the politicians decided public order wasn't worth preserving anymore. These are political choices.I had a similar version of this conversation with a friend who was shocked that there were zero murders on the subway in 2017 and that that number was stable: you had one or two a year for several years in the mid-2010s.It was five or fewer a year from 1997 to 2019, and often one or two. Then you have zero in 2017. There were [ten in 2022]. It coincides perfectly with an order from [Mayor] de Blasio's office and the homeless czar [Director of Homeless Services Steven] Banks [which] told police to stop enforcing subway rules against loitering. The subways became — once again — a de facto homeless shelter. Getting rule-violating homeless people out of the subway in the late ‘80s was such a difficult and major accomplishment at the time, and to be fair it's not as bad as it was.The alternative was that homeless outreach was supposed to offer people services. When they decline, which 95% of people do, you're to leave them be. I would argue again, I don't think that's a more humane stance to take. But it's not just about them, it's about subway riders.There's one story that I think was relevant for you to tell. You were attacked this fall on a subway platform by a guy threatening to kill you. It turns out he's had a number of run-ins with the criminal justice system. Can you tell us where that guy is now?I believe he's in prison now. The only reason I know who it is is because I said, one day I'm going to see his picture in the New York Post because he's going to hurt somebody. Am I 100 percent certain it's Michael Blount who attacked me? No, but I'm willing to call him out by name because I believe it is. He was out of prison for raping a child, and he slashed his ex-girlfriend and pushed her on the subway tracks. And then was on the lam for a while. I look at him and the shape of his face, his height, age, build, complexion, and I go, that's got to be him.I wasn't hurt, but he gave me a sucker punch trying to knock me out and then chased me a bit threatening to kill me, and I believe he wanted to. It's the only time I ever was confronted by a person who I really believe wanted to kill me, and this includes policing in the Eastern District in Baltimore. It was an attempted misdemeanor assault in the long run. But I knew it wasn't about me. It was him. I assume he's going to stay in prison longer for what he did to his ex-girlfriend. But I never thought it would happen to me. I was lucky the punch didn't connect.Peter Moskos's new book is Back from the Brink, Inside the NYPD and New York City's Extraordinary 1990s Crime Drop.My reading listEssays:Johnny Hirschauer's reporting, including “A Failed 'Solution' to 'America's Mental Health Crisis',“ “Return to the Roots,” and “The Last Institutions.” “Broken Windows: The Police and Neighborhood Safety,” by George L. Kelling and James Q. Wilson. ​“It's Time to Talk About America's Disorder Problem,” Charles Lehman.Books:Ghettoside: A True Story of Murder in America, Jill Leovy.​Prince of the City: Giuliani, New York, and the Genius of American Life, Fred Siegel.​ Cop in the Hood: My Year Policing Baltimore's Eastern District, Peter Moskos.​Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic, Sam Quinones.​Bonfire of the Vanities, Tom Wolfe. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.statecraft.pub

Ralph welcomes journalist Chris Hedges to talk about his new book "A Genocide Foretold: Reporting on Survival and Resistance in Occupied Palestine." Then, Ralph speaks to David Swanson of World BEYOND War about what his organization is doing to resist this country's casual acceptance of being constantly at war. Finally, Ralph checks in with our resident constitutional scholar Bruce Fein.Chris Hedges is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, who spent nearly two decades as a foreign correspondent in Central America, the Middle East, Africa and the Balkans. He is the host of The Chris Hedges Report, and he is a prolific author— his latest book is A Genocide Foretold: Reporting on Survival and Resistance in Occupied Palestine.We not only blocked the effort by most countries on the globe to halt the genocide or at least censure Israel to the genocide, but of course have continued to sendbillions of dollars in weapons and to shut down critics within the United States… And that sends a very, very ominous message to the global south, especiallyas the climate breaks down, that these are the kind of draconian murderous measuresthat we will employ.Chris HedgesIt's a very, very ominous chapter in the history of historic Palestine. In some ways, far worse even than the 1948 Nakba (or “Catastrophe”) that saw massacres carried out against Palestinians in their villages and 750,000 Palestinians displaced. What we're watching now is probably the worst catastrophe to ever beset the Palestinian people.Chris HedgesIt's a bit like attacking somebody for writing about Auschwitz and not giving the SS guards enough play to voice their side. We're writing about a genocide and, frankly, there isn't a lot of nuance. There's a lot of context (which is in the book). But I expect either to be blanked out or attacked because lifting up the voices of Palestinians is something at this point within American society that is considered by the dominant media platforms and those within positions of power to be unacceptable.Chris HedgesIt eventually comes down to us, the American people. And it's not just the Middle East. It's a sprawling empire with hundreds of military bases, sapping the energy of our public budgets and of our ability to relate in an empathetic and humanitarian way to the rest of the world.Ralph NaderDavid Swanson is an author, activist, journalist, radio host and Nobel Peace Prize nominee. He is executive director of World BEYOND War and campaign coordinator for RootsAction. His books include War Is A Lie and When the World Outlawed War.The biggest scandal of the past two days in the United States is not government officials secretly discussing plans for mass killing, for war making, but how they did it on a group chat. You can imagine if they were talking about blowing up buildings in the United States, at least the victims would get a little mention in there.David SwansonThe Democrats are the least popular they've been. They're way less popular than the Republicans because some of the Republicans' supporters actually support the horrendous behavior they're engaged in. Whereas Democrats want somebody to try anything, anything at all, and you're not getting it.David SwansonYou know how many cases across the world across the decades in every hospital and health center there are of PTSD or any sort of injury from war deprivation? Not a one. Not a single one, ever. People survive just fine. And people do their damnedest to stay out of it, even in the most warmongering nations in the world. People try their very hardest to stay out of war personally, because it does great damage.David SwansonBruce Fein is a Constitutional scholar and an expert on international law. Mr. Fein was Associate Deputy Attorney General under Ronald Reagan and he is the author of Constitutional Peril: The Life and Death Struggle for Our Constitution and Democracy, and American Empire: Before the Fall.If there were really an attorney general who was independent, they would advise the President, “You can't make these threats. They are the equivalent of extortion.”Bruce FeinVigorous Public Interest Law DayApril 1, 2025 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm at Harvard Law School the Harvard Plaintiffs' Law Association is hosting Vigorous Public Interest Law Day with opening remarks by Ralph Nader. The program will feature highly relevant presentations and group discussions with some of the nation's most courageous public interest lawyers including Sam Levine, Bruce Fein, Robert Weissman, Joan Claybrook, and Pete Davis, to name a few. More information here.News 3/26/251. Starting off this week with some good news, Families for Safe Streets reports the Viriginia Assembly has passed HB2096, also known as the Stop Super Speeders bill. If enacted, this bill would allow would judges to “require drivers convicted of extreme speeding offenses to install Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) technology in their vehicles, automatically limiting their speed to the posted limit.” According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or NHTSA, established by Ralph Nader, speeding was responsible for 12,151 deaths in 2022 and is a contributing factor in the skyrocketing number of pedestrians killed by automobiles which hit a 40-year high in 2023, per NPR.2. In more troubling auto safety news AP reports NHTSA has ordered a new recall on nearly all Cybertrucks. This recall centers on an exterior panel that can “detach while driving, creating a dangerous road hazard for other drivers, [and] increasing the risk of a crash.” This panel, called a “cant rail assembly,” is attached with a glue that is vulnerable to “environmental embrittlement,” per NHTSA. This is the eighth recall of the vehicles since they hit the road just one year ago.3. At the same time, the Democratic-controlled Delaware state legislature has passed a bill to “award…Musk $56 billion, shield corporate executives from liability, and strip away voting power from shareholders,” reports the Lever. According to this report, written before the law passed, the bill would “set an extremely high bar for plaintiffs to obtain internal company documents, records, and communications — the core pieces of evidence needed to build a lawsuit against a company.” On the other hand, “Corporate executives and investors with a controlling stake in a firm would no longer be required to hold full shareholder votes on various transactions in which management has a direct conflict of interest.” As this piece notes, this bill was backed by a pressure campaign led by Musk and his lawyers that began with a Delaware Chancery Court ruling that jeopardized his $56 billion compensation package. In retaliation, Musk threatened to lead a mass exodus of corporations from the state. Instead of calling his bluff, the state legislature folded, likely beginning a race to the bottom among other corporate-friendly states that will strip anyone but the largest shareholders of any remaining influence on corporate decision making.4. Speaking of folding under pressure, Reuters reports Columbia University will “acquiesce” to the outrageous and unprecedented demands of the Trump administration. These include a new mask ban on campus, and placing the school's Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies department – along with the Center for Palestine Studies –under academic receivership for at least five years. By caving to these demands, the University hopes the administration will unfreeze $400 million in NIH grants they threatened to withhold. Reuters quotes historian of education, Professor Jonathan Zimmerman, who decried this as “The government…using the money as a cudgel to micromanage a university,” and Todd Wolfson, president of the American Association of University Professors, who called the administration's demands “arguably the greatest incursion into academic freedom, freedom of speech and institutional autonomy that we've seen since the McCarthy era.”5. The authoritarianism creeping through higher education doesn't end there. Following the chilling disappearing of Mahmoud Khalil, the Trump administration has begun deploying the same tactic against more students for increasingly minor supposed offenses. First there was Georgetown post-doc student Badar Khan Suri, originally from India, who “had been living in Virginia for nearly three years when the police knocked on his door on the evening of 17 March and arrested him,” per the BBC. His crime? Being married to the daughter of a former advisor to Ismail Haniyeh, who in 2010 left the Gaza government and “started the House of Wisdom…to encourage peace and conflict resolution in Gaza.” A court has blocked Suri's deportation. Then there is Rumeysa Ozturk, a PhD student at Tufts who was on her way home from an Iftar dinner when she was surrounded and physically restrained by plainclothes agents on the street, CNN reports. Video of this incident has been shared widely. Secretary of State Marco Rubio supposedly “determined” that Ozturk's alleged activities would have “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences and would compromise a compelling U.S. foreign policy interest.” These activities? Co-writing a March 2024 op-ed in the school paper which stated “Credible accusations against Israel include accounts of deliberate starvation and indiscriminate slaughter of Palestinian civilians and plausible genocide.” The U.S. has long decried regimes that use secret police to suppress dissident speech. Now it seems it has become one.6. Yet the Trump administration is not only using deportations as a blunt object to punish pro-Palestine speech, it is also using it to go after labor rights activists. Seattle public radio station KUOW reports “Farmworker activist and union leader Alfredo Juarez Zeferino, known…as ‘Lelo,' was taken into custody by [ICE].” A farmworker and fellow activist Rosalinda Guillén is quoted saying “[Lelo] doesn't have a criminal record…they stopped him because of his leadership, because of his activism.” She added “I think that this is a political attack.” Simultaneously, the Washington Post reports “John Clark, a Trump-appointed Labor Department official, directed the agency's Bureau of International Labor Affairs…to end all of its grants.” These cuts are “expected to end 69 programs that have allocated more than $500 million to combat child labor, forced labor and human trafficking, and to enforce labor standards in more than 40 countries.”7. All of these moves by the Trump administration are despicable and largely unprecedented, but even they are not as brazen as the assault on the twin pillars of the American social welfare system: Social Security and Medicare. Social Security is bearing the brunt of the attacks at the moment. First, AP reported that Elon Musk's DOGE planned to cut up to 50% of the Social Security Administration staff. Then, the Washington Post reported that the administration planned to force millions of seniors to submit claims in person rather than via phone. Now the administration is announcing that they are shifting Social Security payments from paper checks to prepaid debit cards, per Axios. Nearly half a million seniors still receive their payments via physical checks. These massive disruptions in Social Security have roiled seniors across the nation, many of whom are Republican Trump supporters, and they are voicing their frustration to their Republican elected officials – who in turn are chafing at being cut out of the loop by Musk. NBC reports Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, chairman of the Senate Finance subcommittee on Social Security, said “he had not been told ahead of time about DOGE's moves at the agency.” Senators Steve Daines and Bill Cassidy have echoed this sentiment. And, while Social Security takes center stage, Medicare is next in line. Drop Site is out with a new report on how Trump's nominee to oversee the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services – Dr. Oz – could shift millions of seniors from traditional Medicare to the insurer-controlled Medicare Advantage system. Medicare and Social Security have long been seen as the “third rail” of American politics, meaning politicians who try to tamper with those programs meet their political demise. This is the toughest test yet of whether that remains true.8. The impact of Oscar winning documentary No Other Land continues to reverberate, a testament to the power of its message. In Miami Beach, Mayor Steven Meiner issued a draft resolution calling for the city to terminate its lease agreement with O Cinema, located at Old City Hall, simply for screening the film. Deadline reports however that he was forced to back down. And just this week, co-director of the film Hamdan Ballal was reportedly “lynched” by Israeli settlers in his West Bank village, according to co-director Yuval Abraham, an anti-occupation Jewish Israeli journalist. The Guardian reports “the settlers beat him in front of his home and filmed the assault…he was held at an army base, blindfolded, for 24 hours and forced to sleep under a freezing air conditioner.” Another co-director, Basel Adra of Masafer Yatta, told the AP “We came back from the Oscars and every day since there is an attack on us…This might be their revenge on us for making the movie. It feels like a punishment.” Stunningly, it took days for the Academy of Motion Pictures to issue a statement decrying the violence and even then, the statement was remarkably tepid with no mention of Palestine at all, only condemning “harming or suppressing artists for their work or their viewpoints.”9. In some more positive news, Zohran Mamdani – the Democratic Socialist candidate for Mayor of New York City – has maxed out donations, per Gothamist. Mamdani says he has raised “more than $8 million with projected matching funds from about 18,000 donors citywide and has done so at a faster rate than any campaign in city history.” Having hit the public financing cap this early, Mamdani promised to not spend any more of the campaign raising money and instead plans to “build the single largest volunteer operation we've ever seen in the New York City's mayor's race.” Witnessing a politician asking supporters not to send more money is a truly one-of-a-kind moment. Recent polling shows Mamdani in second place, well behind disgraced former Governor Andrew Cuomo and well ahead of his other rivals, including incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, per CBS. However, Mamdani remains unknown to large numbers of New Yorkers, meaning his ceiling could be much higher. Plenty of time remains before the June mayoral election.10. Finally, in an extremely bizarre story, Columbia Professor Anthony Zenkus reports “Robert Ehrlich, millionaire founder of snack food giant Pirate's Booty…tried to take over the sleepy Long Island town of Sea Cliff.” Zenkus relays that Ehrlich waged a “last minute write-in campaign for mayor in which he only received 62 votes - then declared himself mayor anyway.” Though Ehrlich only received 5% of the vote, he “stormed the village hall with an entourage, declaring himself the duly-elected mayor, screaming that he was there to dissolve the entire town government and that he alone had the power to form a new government.” Ehrlich claimed the election was “rigged” and thus invalid, citing as evidence “One of my supporters voted three times. Another one voted four times…” which constitutes a confession to election fraud. Zenkus ends this story by noting that Ehrlich was “escorted out by police.” It's hard to make heads or tails of this story, but if nothing else it indicates that these petty robber barons are simply out of control – believing they can stage their own mini coup d'etats. And after all, why shouldn't they think so, when one of their ilk occupies perhaps the most powerful office in the history of the world. Bad omens all around.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

We rewind to Artie's, Perla, Philadelphia, and Heidi Gallery.We're looking forward to Just Like a Girl, The Colored Museum,Rocky Horror, Safe Streets, Know the Bear Facts, Call Jane, backgammon and chess open play, CHS AP Art Showcase, and the South Mountain Conservancy annual meeting.Three Things with a call for local dancers, a book study, $7 movie tickets, private shopping events, Food Stroll tickets, and protesting the ICE Detention Center in Newark.We're on hiatus for a while, but we'll see you soon! Thanks for listening everyone!LINKSMeadowland Park Dance FestivalSafe Streets MeetingVirtual Book Study featuring "The Anxious Generation"$7 Movie Ticket TuesdaysBotanica Boutique Private ShoppingSouth Orange Food Stroll ticketsICE Detention Center Protest

In this episode of Birthplace of Next Andrew Estevez with the City's Office of Communications and Public Affairs talks with David Escobar, City Engineer, and Mike Squire, Division Manager of Community Engagement, about Safe Streets 4 All, a comprehensive safety action plan grant from the United States Department of Transportation that the City received in 2022. In 2023, the city partnered with LJB, Inc. to develop a comprehensive safety action plan for City of Dayton roads. The work is ongoing and is planned to be completed in 2025. Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) is aimed at reducing and eliminating serious-injury and fatal crashes affecting all roadway users. The Action Plan uses data analysis to identify roadway safety problems and strengthen a community's approach through projects and strategies that address the most significant safety risks.

The Southwest Washington RTC is inviting Clark County residents to an online open house focused on the Safe Streets and Roads for All Safety Action Plan. Learn how you can share your input to improve transportation safety by visiting https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/news/public-invited-to-online-open-house-safe-streets-and-roads-for-all-safety-action-plan on www.ClarkCountyToday.com. #SafeStreets #RTCSafetyActionPlan #LocalNews

Dec. 17, 2024 - More than a dozen municipalities, including Albany, have taken advantage of a state law that allows local speed limits to be set at 25 miles per hour. We talk about this safety measure with NY SAFE Streets Coalition members Anne Savage and Rose Quinn.

On this episode of the Strong Towns Podcast, Chuck discusses safe streets advocacy with Amy Cohen, the co-founder and president of Families for Safe Streets. They cover the importance of using both data and personal stories to drive change, some of Families for Safe Streets' recent initiatives, and advice for local advocates on how to support people who have lost loved ones to traffic violence. See the additional notes for resources and support from Families for Safe Streets. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Personal stories can be a powerful driver of change. Families for Safe Streets' Community Story Map collects these stories. They also offer a toolkit for using the map to bring awareness to traffic violence. Families for Safe Streets offers support services for those affected by traffic violence. Click here to learn more. Learn about the Strong Towns model for creating safer streets. Amy Cohen (Families for Safe Streets site). Chuck Marohn (Twitter/X).

On the Midday Newswrap, WYPR's Emily Hofstaedter discusses her recent reporting on the first audit of Baltimore's Safe Streets program. The first biennial audit for MONSE, which oversees Safe Streets, found the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement had weak processes to prevent duplicate payments and overpayments to contractors. Ultimately, the audit found no evidence of fraud but warned that MONSE was making itself susceptible to fraud if it did not heed recommendations from the Department of Audits.  Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

In the election bummer, some local winners for safe streets: new Congressmember Laura Friedman, Alameda Supervisor John Bauters, and West Hollywood Mayor John Erickson. Listener Kevin Grishkot asks whether, if cars were no longer available, we would require people to license their bicycles. Bike Talk's lawyer, Jim Pocrass, explains why it's not a very good idea. 3:18 News: Ontario Premier threatens Toronto's popular and data proven bike lanes. Paris closes 2 miles of its city center to through traffic. Bike-friendly Minneapolis makes the top tier of the 2024 “Happy City Index.” Denver activists form a people protected bike lane to respond when the city cancels 1/2 mile of protected bike lane. 10:56 Robin Richardson, Toronto mom, family/cargo biker, and organizer of the bike lane on "the world's longest street" defends Toronto's bike lanes from a right wing populist Premier. 17:11 Emily Lipstein, StreetsblogNYC journalist, bike commuter, and Queens native, tells the story of a recent DOT greenway workshop thrown into chaos by MAGA NYC Councilmember Vicky Paladino. 37:02 Stacey's Bike Thought 55:30

CTL Script/ Top Stories of November 5th Publish Date: November 5th   Pre-Roll: From the Ingles Studio Welcome to the Award-Winning Cherokee Tribune Ledger Podcast    Today is Tuesday, November 5th and Happy Birthday to Brian Adams. ***11.05.24 - BIRTHDAY – BRIAN ADAMS*** I'm Keith Ippolito and here are the stories Cherokee is talking about, presented by Credit Union of Georgia.  1.       Cherokee County Woman Convicted of Husband's Murder 2.      Cherokee County Seeking Input on Safe Streets for All Action Plan 3.      Man to Serve 10 Years for Stealing Over $1M From Elderly Mother Plus, Leah McGrath from Ingles Markets on seed oils.   We'll have all this and more coming up on the Cherokee Tribune-Ledger Podcast, and if you're looking for Community news, we encourage you to listen and subscribe!    Commercial: CU of GA (06.26.24 CU OF GA FREE CHECKING_REV_FINAL) STORY 1:   Cherokee County Woman Convicted of Husband's Murder A Cherokee County jury convicted Melody Farris, 64, of the 2018 murder of her husband, Gary Farris. She was found guilty of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, and other charges. Gary's remains were discovered on a burn pile on their property, with evidence including a bullet in his rib and blood in the home. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation confirmed his DNA on a spent bullet. Prosecutors argued Melody killed Gary for financial gain, as she was the beneficiary of his estate and life insurance. The defense claimed insufficient evidence and suggested their son might be involved. Sentencing is set for December, with a minimum life sentence expected. STORY 2:  Cherokee County Seeking Input on Safe Streets for All Action Plan Cherokee County is conducting a final round of public engagement for the Safe Streets for All Safety Action Plan, aimed at reducing traffic fatalities. The plan, funded by a U.S. Department of Transportation grant, addresses factors contributing to traffic crashes. From 2018 to 2022, the county saw 87 fatalities and 436 serious injuries. Citizens can provide feedback through a virtual meeting on Nov. 6 and in-person sessions at local libraries from Nov. 8. The plan is being developed by Pond and Company, with public input helping shape future roadway safety improvements. STORY 3:  Man to Serve 10 Years for Stealing Over $1M From Elderly Mother Thomas Glenn North III, 64, pleaded guilty to stealing $1.35 million from his elderly mother in Woodstock, resulting in a 40-year sentence, with 10 years in prison and the rest on probation. North, who was his mother's power of attorney, neglected her care and exploited her finances, leading to her eviction from an assisted living facility. Over three years, he depleted her bank account and trust fund. The court ordered him to repay the stolen amount at $50,000 annually and prohibited contact with the victim or her family. The case highlights the issue of elder abuse within families. We have opportunities for sponsors to get great engagement on these shows. Call 770.874.3200 for more info.    Back in a moment  Break: Drake (Drake Realty (Cherokee County) STORY 4:   Former Woodstock PD Crime Analyst Charged with Computer Trespass Brittany Duncan Page, a former crime analyst for the Woodstock Police Department, has been arrested and charged with computer trespass and violating the Georgia Computer Systems Protection Act. After her resignation on April 16, it was discovered that department records linked to her role had been deleted. Page, who also served as the department's public information officer, worked there for 17 years. She was arrested and later released on a $4,875 bond. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is conducting an ongoing investigation, with findings to be submitted to the Cherokee County District Attorney's Office. STORY 5: Cherokee County Shines at Sectionals At the Class AAAAAA state sectionals at Allatoona Creek Park, the Etowah boys and girls teams, along with the Cherokee girls, qualified for the state meet with top-12 finishes. This year, state meet qualifiers are determined by sectional competitions. Etowah's boys placed sixth, while Cherokee's boys narrowly missed qualifying, finishing 13th. In the girls' race, Etowah and Cherokee secured 11th and 12th places, respectively. Etowah's Bo Colpaert was the top local finisher in the boys' race, and Cherokee's Callie Cornelius led the local girls. In Class AAAAA, Creekview's teams, along with Woodstock boys and River Ridge girls, also qualified for the state meet. Creekview's Malachi Burnett won the boys' race. Commercial: Ingles Markets 2 And now here is Leah McGrath from Ingles Markets on seed oil. ***LEAH INTERVIEW*** INGLES 1 'ASK LEAH' SEED OILS***   We'll have closing comments after this.    COMMERCIAL: 04.24.24 HELLER LAW 1_FINAL   SIGN OFF –   Thanks again for hanging out with us on today's Cherokee Tribune Ledger Podcast. If you enjoy these shows, we encourage you to check out our other offerings, like the Cherokee Tribune Ledger Podcast, the Marietta Daily Journal, or the Community Podcast for Rockdale Newton and Morgan Counties. Read more about all our stories and get other great content at www.tribuneledgernews.com Did you know over 50% of Americans listen to podcasts weekly? Giving you important news about our community and telling great stories are what we do. Make sure you join us for our next episode and be sure to share this podcast on social media with your friends and family. Add us to your Alexa Flash Briefing or your Google Home Briefing and be sure to like, follow, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Produced by the BG Podcast Network   Show Sponsors: ·         www.ingles-markets.com  ·         www.drakerealty.com ·         cuofga.org ·         www.jeffhellerlaw.com   #NewsPodcast #CurrentEvents #TopHeadlines #BreakingNews #PodcastDiscussion #PodcastNews #InDepthAnalysis #NewsAnalysis #PodcastTrending #WorldNews #LocalNews #GlobalNews #PodcastInsights #NewsBrief #PodcastUpdate #NewsRoundup #WeeklyNews #DailyNews #PodcastInterviews #HotTopics #PodcastOpinions #InvestigativeJournalism #BehindTheHeadlines #PodcastMedia #NewsStories #PodcastReports #JournalismMatters #PodcastPerspectives #NewsCommentary #PodcastListeners #NewsPodcastCommunity #NewsSource #PodcastCuration #WorldAffairs #PodcastUpdates #AudioNews #PodcastJournalism #EmergingStories #NewsFlash #PodcastConversationsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new federal program for reducing roadway fatalities and serious injuries comes to Cape Cod.

This week we're joined by Cassidy Boulan and Thom Stead of the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC). We chat about their work in Philadelphia, Trenton, and greater New Jersey related to complete streets and creating safe infrastructure for biking and bus drivers. This podcast was produced in partnership with Mpact. Learn more at http://mpactmobility.org +++ Follow us on twitter @theoverheadwire Follow us on Mastadon theoverheadwire@sfba.social Follow us on Threads or Instagram @theoverheadwire Support the show on Patreon http://patreon.com/theoverheadwire Buy books on our Bookshop.org Affiliate site!  And get our Cars are Cholesterol shirt at Tee-Public! And everything else at http://theoverheadwire.com  

Join the conversation with C4 & Bryan Nehman.  North Carolina shifting to Harris in the presidential race.  Mayor Scott reacts to safe streets incidents.  Republican political analyst Doug Heye joined the show discussing North Carolia as a swing state & September 10th debate.  Inspector General Isabel Cumming joined the show in the studio discussing her 2024 annual report.  According to the Surgeon General, parental stress is becoming a health concern.  Listen to C4 and Bryan Nehman live every weekday from 5:30-10:00 a.m. ET on WBAL News Radio 1090, FM101.5, and the WBAL Radio App!

Join the conversation with C4 & Bryan Nehman.  Baltimore County School Superintendent Myriam Rogers joined the show to discuss cell phone policies, cameras on school busses, blueprint & more.  Guilty plea for Billingsley.  Update on a safe streets worker.  GOP patriots for Harris & debates over debate.  Listen to C4 and Bryan Nehman live every weekday from 5:30-10:00 a.m. ET on WBAL News Radio 1090, FM101.5, and the WBAL Radio App!

Erik Lowe is the founder of Reimagine Spokane, a grassroots group of citizens who are calling for safer streets and better transit in Spokane, Washington. He's also the designer of the “Spokane Reimagined” plan, a $1 billion proposal to improve safety and connectivity in Spokane over 20 years. On this episode of The Bottom-Up Revolution, he joins host Tiffany Owens Reed to talk about transit advocacy and the importance of walkability and safe streets. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Local recommendations: Riverfront park, food truck, falls, gondola. Atticus Coffee. Domini's Sandwiches. Tiffany Owens Reed (Instagram). Do you know someone who would make for a great The Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here!

Join us in "Navigating by Gradient" as we explore the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program. Learn about its $5 billion funding, grant types, eligibility, and the Safe System Approach aiming for zero roadway deaths. Discover how SS4A is making streets safer across the U.S. For more details, visit: Podcast - Gradient Systematics

"Three Things You Need to Know"...Supreme Court judge gets 2nd Amendment reality check...how we see our candidates...project "Safe Streets" launches in East Lake.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Melinda Hanson, co-founder of the Equitable Commute Project and founder of Brightside Consulting, explains the differences between various forms of 2-wheeled motorized transportation, how they're regulated and what would contribute to safer streets, bike lanes and sidewalks.

NY Governor Hochul's abrupt and catastrophic turnaround on congestion pricing leaves people who live in NYC with all the costs of cut-through traffic, and none of the money that would have funded transportation. Taylor, Nick and Anne Marie talk with journalist Charles Komanoff and Transportation Alternatives Communications Director Alexa Sledge. 3:24 Taylor talks with Families for Safe Streets members who confront the preventable epidemic of traffic violence by advocating for life-saving changes and providing support to those who have been impacted by crashes. With Laura Fredricks, Jay Hightman, Lindsay Caron, and Grandma Beverly Shelton. 28:52 Stacey's Bike Thought 1:00:00

Carolyn Harding w/ Ginger Tornes and Margo Wakefield advocates for Friends and Families for Safe Streets Columbus. Ginger Tornes was born and raised in Columbus. She moved to Alaska, where she managed a commercial salmon fishing business and worked with the state legislature. Ms. Tornes became involved in safe street/safe systems advocacy after the 2017 hit and run death of a good friend on a street with no sidewalks. She formed Friends and Families for Safe Streets, Columbus, and World Day of Remembrance, a global event supported by the UN. Ms. Tornes is a member of the Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission attributable funds committee, and various other organizations. Margo Wakefield holds an advanced degree in the Performing Arts. As a writer and choreographer, she uses her Art to communicate the human condition. Her Baha'i' spiritual training inspires her active participation in efforts and organizations that support Survivors of Human Trafficking, promote access to Mental Health care without stigma, and movements for Transportation Justice and Safer Streets. According to NBC4i.com, on Thursday, May 30th, at 9:24pm a young man was struck twice by separate vehicles in north Columbus. Unable to survive his injuries he died that night. And On Tuesday, May 28, at 9:15pm, a Pedestrian was killed while attempting to cross West Broad Street in Columbus. According to the Columbus Dispatch, On Friday, April 19, at 1:00am a male pedestrian died after being struck by two vehicles that both fled the scene on East Broad Street on the city's Far East Side. These recent deaths, are a result from pedestrians simply trying to cross a street in Columbus. Talk about these, all too common, tragedies happening in Columbus today. https://www.facebook.com/SafeStreetsColumbus GrassRoot Ohio - Conversations with everyday people working on important issues, here in Columbus and all around Ohio. Every Friday 5:00pm, EST on 94.1FM & streaming worldwide @ WGRN.org, Sundays at 2:00pm EST on 92.7/98.3 FM and streams @ WCRSFM.org, and Sundays at 4:00pm EST, at 107.1 FM, Wheeling/Moundsville WV on WEJP-LP FM. Contact Us if you would like GrassRoot Ohio on your local station. Face Book: https://www.facebook.com/GrassRootOhio/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grassroot_ohio/ All shows/podcasts archived at SoundCloud! https://soundcloud.com/user-42674753 Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/.../grassroot-ohio/id1522559085 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAX2t1Z7_qae803BzDF4PtQ/ Intro and Exit music for GrassRoot Ohio is "Resilient" by Rising Appalachia: https://youtu.be/tx17RvPMaQ8 There's a time to listen and learn, a time to organize and strategize, And a time to Stand Up/ Fight Back!

Amy Cohen's son Sammy was killed by a speeding driver in 2013, now a law named in his honor will make NYC streets safer. Amy talks about this journey from grief to action.

Reducing traffic deaths is a compelling proposition, but it gets complicated when trying to make it so. Reduced enforcement of traffic laws, increased rates of driver impairment, cellphone distractions and street designs that prioritize speed have helped reverse long-standing traffic safety gains in American cities.Programs like Vision Zero, aimed at eliminating traffic deaths, face challenges in implementation and efficacy, though success stories like Hoboken, N.J., offer hope. Federal initiatives such as Safe Streets and Roads for All provide substantial funding opportunities for cities to enhance street safety. However, administrative barriers may hinder smaller municipalities from accessing these resources.In TFIC's occasional series, Your Mileage May Vary, and Senior Writer Jared Brey (Governing) and Senior Writer Skip Descant (Government Technology*) explore how controversies around street design interventions — so-called traffic calming — like bike lanes and curb extensions highlight the challenges of balancing various transportation needs and navigating public perceptions. Technology plays a crucial role in supporting infrastructure improvements, from speed monitoring to data-driven safety assessments. In the aftermath of the Baltimore bridge collapse, the daunting task of rebuilding underscores the importance of robust infrastructure planning and response mechanisms. SHOW NOTES Here are the top 5 takeaways from this episode: Traffic Safety Trends: Despite long-term declines in traffic fatalities, American cities have experienced a concerning uptick in traffic-related deaths and collisions, particularly during the pandemic, attributed to factors like reduced enforcement and increased impairment. Challenges of Vision Zero: While programs like Vision Zero aim to eliminate traffic deaths, implementation faces hurdles, with mixed success in cities like San Francisco. Strategies include redesigning streets for safety and setting ambitious goals, but efficacy varies across contexts. Federal Funding Opportunities: Federal initiatives such as Safe Streets and Roads for All offer substantial funding to enhance street safety, but smaller municipalities may face administrative challenges in accessing these resources, highlighting the need for capacity-building support. Controversies in Street Design: Controversies around street interventions like bike lanes and curb extensions underscore the challenges of balancing diverse transportation needs and navigating public perceptions, with technology playing a crucial role in supporting infrastructure improvements. Lessons from Infrastructure Failures: Infrastructure failures like the Baltimore bridge collapse highlight the importance of robust planning and response mechanisms, underscoring the daunting task of rebuilding and its potential impacts on regional and global trade. Related Links to stories referenced in the episode: How Hoboken Has Gone Years Without a Traffic Death Pedestrian Fatalities Reach Record High Our editors used ChatGPT 4.0 to summarize the episode in bullet form to help create the show notes. The main image for this story was created using DALL-E 3. Subscribe for free on YouTube or the podcast app of your choice — Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audacy and Audible.

CTL Script/ Top Stories of March 9th            Publish Date: March 8th            From the Ingles Studio Welcome to the Award-Winning Cherokee Tribune Ledger Podcast    Today is Saturday, March 9th and Happy 59th Birthday to linebacker Brian Bosworth. ***03.09.24 – BIRTHDAY – BRIAN BOSWORTH*** I'm Keith Ippolito and here are the stories Cherokee is talking about, presented by Credit Union of Georgia.  Pay Raises for Teachers and State Workers Sail Through Georgia House Cherokee Schools Announces Media Specialist of the Year Woodstock Looks to Address Affordable Housing   We'll have all this and more coming up on the Cherokee Tribune-Ledger Podcast, and if you're looking for Community news, we encourage you to listen and subscribe!    Commercial: CU of GA   STORY 1: Pay Raises for Teachers and State Workers Sail Through Georgia House The Georgia House of Representatives has approved the fiscal 2025 state budget, coming in at $36.1 billion. This budget includes substantial pay raises for teachers and other state employees, made possible by a significant surplus. The new budget, set to come into effect on July 1, represents an increase of 11% compared to the previous year. A 4% pay raise is slated for the majority of state employees, with additional targeted raises planned for agencies experiencing high turnover rates. Public school teachers can expect a $2,500 raise. Furthermore, the budget has provisions for funding in education and healthcare sectors, addressing areas such as enrollment growth, school bus requirements, campus safety, and increases in Medicaid reimbursement. Following this approval, the budget will now proceed to the Georgia Senate STORY 2: Cherokee Schools Announces Media Specialist of the Year Cherokee County School District honored Jennifer Cogdill, a media specialist at Woodstock High School, as the Library Media Specialist of the Year. Cogdill was chosen from a pool of nominees for her exceptional contributions to education. She was presented with the award and received a $500 Visa gift card, plaque, and banner sponsored by Credit Union of Georgia. Cogdill's leadership, collaboration with teachers, and innovative programs have elevated teaching and learning at Woodstock High School. She advances to the regional competition and has previously been recognized for her achievements, including being named the Woodstock Zone Media Specialist of the Year. Cogdill's dedication to education extends beyond her role as a media specialist, as she also serves on the school's instructional leadership team and sponsors student organizations. STORY 3: Woodstock Looks to Address Affordable Housing Woodstock's Mayor, Michael Caldwell, is actively addressing the pressing issue of housing affordability as a member of the Atlanta Regional Commission's Local Leadership Housing Action Committee. The city has formulated a plan to conduct a thorough residential density audit alongside a review of its accessory dwelling unit (ADU) ordinance. The residential density audit is aimed at gaining an in-depth understanding of the potential for current and future developments. On the other hand, the ADU review is designed to strike a balance between the growing demand for ADUs and the preservation of neighborhood character. In order to fund these initiatives, Woodstock is pursuing grant funding. This comes in light of the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) reporting that housing prices are increasing at a rate that outpaces wages in metro Atlanta, leading to a shortage of affordable housing units. The next committee is set to begin on March 14. Interested individuals can visit atlantaregional.org. We have opportunities for sponsors to get great engagement on these shows. Call 770.874.3200 for more info.    Back in a moment  Break: CURIOSITY LAB BIKE RACE – DRAKE STORY 4: Firm Hired for Safe Street and Roads Action Plan Cherokee County authorities have engaged the services of Pond and Company to formulate the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Action Plan. This initiative is aimed at bolstering road safety measures and decreasing the number of severe injuries and fatalities on the road. The Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a design services agreement, which costs around $562,000. The plan's funding includes a substantial federal grant of $450,000, which will be used to analyze traffic data and crash reports. The findings from these analyses will help shape improvements and policy recommendations for the countywide transportation system. The remaining amount is expected to be equally shared between the county and participating cities. The county will cover 67.11% of this cost through funds obtained from the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax. The study is projected to be completed within approximately 12 months. STORY 5: Cherokee High School Student Earns Appointment to U.S. Air Force Academy Cherokee High School senior Sydney Watson has earned an appointment to the United States Air Force Academy and received the prestigious J-100 AFJROTC Character-in-Leadership Scholarship. The scholarship provides full tuition, housing allowance, and other benefits to 100 cadets. Sydney expressed gratitude for the support from her community and JROTC program. She also excels academically, ranking second in her class and achieving notable scores on standardized tests. Sydney is also involved in various extracurricular activities and holds leadership positions. Her achievements are even more remarkable given her mother's battle with cancer when Sydney was young, underscoring their shared journey and appreciation for life's moments. Commercial: INGLES 5 STORY 6: Next Step Ministries Withdraws Application Next Step Ministries, a Cherokee County nonprofit serving individuals with disabilities, withdrew its request to construct a second building after months of deliberation by commissioners. The organization sought to build a 10,920 square-foot facility next to its existing one, but faced opposition from some residents concerned about the size and impact on the rural area. Next Step cited concerns over renovation costs and ethical considerations regarding their existing building's appearance. This withdrawal marks the second time the nonprofit has withdrawn its expansion plans. Despite setbacks, Next Step remains committed to serving the community and exploring other avenues for expansion. STORY 7: Defense lawyer in Trump case defends bid to disqualify Fulton D.A. Willis Ashleigh Merchant, the defense attorney for co-defendant Michael Roman in the Fulton County election interference case against ex-President Donald Trump, recently testified before a state Senate committee. Merchant's allegations revolve around Willis's failure to disclose her romantic relationship with lead prosecutor Nathan Wade, who was appointed for this case. She accused Willis of financial gain from both the contract with Wade and their personal relationship. Furthermore, Merchant questioned the oversight of Willis' utilization of public funds provided by the county commission. She also criticized Wade's billing procedures and restated prior allegations about his qualifications and the timeline of his relationship with Willis. Willis, in response, defended herself by stating that she and Wade shared trip expenses, thereby denying any conflict of interest. Senate Minority Whip Harold Jones challenged Merchant's claims, emphasizing Wade's efficacy in securing indictments and guilty pleas. The committee is now awaiting a ruling from Fulton Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee regarding the disqualification motion. We'll have closing comments after this. COMMERCIAL: HENRY CO SHERIFFS   SIGN OFF –   Thanks again for listening to today's Cherokee Tribune Ledger podcast. . If you enjoy these shows, we encourage you to check out our other offerings, like the Marietta Daily Journal Podcast, the Gwinnett Daily Post, the Community Podcast for Rockdale Newton and Morgan Counties, or the Paulding County News Podcast. Get more on these stories and other great content at tribune ledger news.com. Giving you important information about our community and telling great stories are what we do.     Did you know over 50% of Americans listen to podcasts weekly? 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Add us to your Alexa Flash Briefing or your Google Home Briefing and be sure to like, follow, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.   Produced by the BG Podcast Network   Show Sponsors: ingles-markets.com drakerealty.com cuofga.org henrycountysheriffga.gov peachtreecornersga.gov/385/Curiosity-Lab-Criterium-2024   #NewsPodcast #CurrentEvents #TopHeadlines #BreakingNews #PodcastDiscussion #PodcastNews #InDepthAnalysis #NewsAnalysis #PodcastTrending #WorldNews #LocalNews #GlobalNews #PodcastInsights #NewsBrief #PodcastUpdate #NewsRoundup #WeeklyNews #DailyNews #PodcastInterviews #HotTopics #PodcastOpinions #InvestigativeJournalism #BehindTheHeadlines #PodcastMedia #NewsStories #PodcastReports #JournalismMatters #PodcastPerspectives #NewsCommentary #PodcastListeners #NewsPodcastCommunity #NewsSource #PodcastCuration #WorldAffairs #PodcastUpdates #AudioNews #PodcastJournalism #EmergingStories #NewsFlash #PodcastConversationsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join the conversation with C4 and Bryan Nehman.  A recap of President Biden's State of the Union address.  A safe streets hearing turned into a bike lane meeting.  Mike O'Halloran, MD Director of NFIB joined the show to discuss HB 1515 & other tax increase bills on businesses.  U.S. House Committee voted to ban TikTok.  Listen to C4 and Bryan Nehman live every weekday from 5:30-10:00 a.m. ET on WBAL News Radio 1090, FM101.5, and the WBAL Radio App!

Safe Streets and Roads for All is a new federal program that's supposed to help communities fix dangerous streets and reduce traffic deaths. But USA TODAY Investigative Data Reporter Austin Fast found most of the money has been awarded in more affluent counties with lower fatality rates. Plus, hundreds of millions of dollars have gone unawarded, simply because the program has not gotten enough applications. Despite that, the U.S. Department of Transportation hadn't directly encouraged hard-hit communities to apply until the past couple months, when USA TODAY began asking questions.Episode Transcript available hereAlso available at art19.com/shows/5-ThingsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, I welcome back Professor Peter Norton of the University of Virginia for a continuation of our discussion about the long legacy of parents fighting for safer streets in the United States of America and how Motordom ultimately prevailed in most cases where they were challenged. We also draw comparisons between the street safety protests of The Netherlands in the 1970s, which profoundly changed the trajectory of the country and helped to pave the way towards a country that broadly has mobility choice between walking, biking, transit, and driving a motor vehicle.Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to the Podcast on your preferred listening platform, and don't forget to check out and subscribe to the Active Towns Channel for more contentHelpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links to help me support the channel):- My first podcast episode with Peter- My second episode with Peter- Professor Peter Norton's website- Peter Norton on X/Twitter- Peter on BlueSky- Fighting Traffic by Peter D. Norton- Autonorama by Peter D. Norton- Families for Safe Streets website- Dark PR episode with Grant Ennis- Active Towns Bookshop for Books Profiled on the PodIf you are a fan of the Active Towns Podcast, please consider supporting the effort as an Active Towns Ambassador in the following ways:1. Join our Patreon community. Contributions start at just $1 per month(Note: Patron benefits include early, ad-free access to content and a 15% discount in the Active Towns Merch Store)2. If you enjoyed this episode, you can also "leave a tip" through "Buy Me a Coffee"3. Pick up some Active Towns #StreetsAreForPeople Merch at my storeCredits:- Video and audio production by John Simmerman- Music via Epidemic SoundResources used during the production of this video:- My recording platform is Ecamm Live- Editing software Adobe Creative Cloud Suite- Equipment: Contact me for a complete listFor more information about the Active Towns effort or to follow along, please visit our links below:- Active Towns Website- Active Towns on Twitter- Periodic e-NewsletterBackground:Hi Everyone! My name is John Simmerman, and I'm a health promotion and public health professional with over 30 years of experience. Over the years, my area of concentration has evolved into a specialization in how the built environment influences human behavior related to active living and especially active mobility.Since 2010,  I've been exploring, documenting, and profiling established, emerging, and aspiring Active Towns wherever they might be while striving to produce high-quality multimedia content to help inspire the creation of more safe and inviting, environments that promote a "Culture of Activity" for "All Ages & Abilities."The Active Towns Channel features my original video content and reflections, including a selection of podcast episodes and short films profiling the positive and inspiring efforts happening around the world as I am able to experience and document them.Thanks once again for tuning in! I hope you find this content helpful and insightful.Creative Commons License: Attributions, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives, 2024 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Since the beginning of the pandemic, traffic deaths have surged in cities across America. 2021 shaped up to be the deadliest for pedestrians in four decades.Data from the Governors Highway Safety Association estimates that drivers hit and killed more than 7,000 pedestrians in 2021, an average of 20 deaths per day.While data from 2022 isn't out yet, estimates indicate that the pedestrian safety crisis has only worsened.To help address the surge, the U.S. Department of Transportation released $800 million dollars in grants as a part of its Safe Streets for All program in February.We discuss the impact this federal investment will have on traffic deaths and how we can make communities safer for pedestrians. Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find us on Twitter @1A.