New analysis from climate charity has shown hundreds of schools could benefit from traffic restrictions at opening and closing times in New York City
New analysis from climate charity Possible, the Active Travel Academy and Transportation Alternatives, as part of the Car Free Megacities project, has shown that across all 1709 schools in New York City (NYC), up to 65% of schools may be suited to the introduction of a School Street (14% are likely suited, while a further 51% may be suited).
With such a degree of suitability, the study suggests that there is significant potential for widespread adoption of School Streets across NYC and subsequent substantial improvements to young people’s experiences of public space and travel.
School Streets initiatives involve restricting traffic on roads surrounding schools around the start and finish of the school day. People walking, wheeling and cycling can still access the road, and vehicles with a permit. This improves road safety, air quality and helps encourage walking, wheeling and cycling to school.
An earlier UK study assessed feasibility of the implementation of School Streets on their closeness to a main road, nearby sites that involved constant essential traffic, and bus routes. From this analysis it was found that, in the four cities considered (Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds and London), around half of the schools were likely to be feasible for a School Street.
For New York City study, researchers assessed feasibility by looking at markers of ‘infeasibility’, namely whether schools were located on a main road, were within 100m of a main road, were within 100m of multiple bus stops and finally whether they were within 100m of any key locations that involved constant essential traffic - like hospitals.
After identifying feasibility, researchers then prioritized the schools: first by those with a high number of vehicle crashes within 200m of the schools, then by schools’ proximity to one another and then, by proximity to a minor road. The top 200 priority schools (13% of all the schools) experienced 31% of all the crashes. The first factor counted twice as much as the second two to reflect the importance of reducing road danger.
Their final priority list includes 143 schools that are high priority and where the implementation of a School Street is likely to be highly or very feasible. If all schools in the list were to receive a School Street, 64,321 pupils would benefit from access to additional safe space to play and socialize, and, potentially, to access school by walking, wheeling or cycling. Adding 140 or more schools to the list of schools targeted will also bring New York in line with the level of intervention taken recently in Paris.
Campaigners are calling on New York’s Department of Transport to introduce School Streets across New York and let students feel the benefits of safer, less-polluted streets surrounding their places of learning. Particularly, School Streets must be prioritized at schools which serve communities of black, indigenous, people of color and low income populations, which are worst affected by disparities in road safety and transportation provision.
Ersilia Verlinghieri, a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Westminster's Active Travel Academy, and lead author of the report said:
“Road safety is a topic of growing concern for parents in New York City. School streets can help address this, together with many other of the negative effects of motor traffic on children’s lives. Our report is an invitation to take immediate action to improve this, whilst also taking equity into serious account. A high proportion of schools in NYC are highly suitable for School Streets and should receive interventions as soon as possible.”.
D’Shandi Coombs, a Schools Organizer for Transportation Alternatives said:
“All students should have access to high-quality School Streets and this analysis shows that New York City's schools are well-suited for car-free spaces to learn, play, and grow. Car-free School Streets are safe from the threat of traffic violence, and New York City’s leaders must expand the program equitably across the city.”
Doug Gordon, a livable streets activist in Brooklyn and Project Manager for Car Free Megacities in New York City, said:
“This study clearly demonstrates that there is huge potential for New York City to make the streets around our public schools healthier, safer and greener. The UK has seen great benefits with these initiatives and it’s time New York City started making bold, transformative changes to shift away from car dominance. If we can make this change for our children, imagine how much more likely they’ll be to embrace walking, wheeling and cycling more in later life - and that will make a real difference to our city.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
For the final report please click HERE.
For media enquiries and further information please contact press@wearepossible.org or 07806431577.
Doug Gordon, a livable streets activist in Brooklyn, and Project Manager for Car Free Megacities in New York City, is available for comment. Please contact press@wearepossible.org for more information.
Possible is a UK-based charity that brings people together to take positive, practical action on climate change. Combining individual and local actions with larger systemic change, we connect people with each other, and communities with ways to address the climate crisis. wearepossible.org.