Why New York City’s Students Need Car-Free School Streets
School Streets are safe, car-free places to learn, play, and grow. Yet, fewer than 50 of NYC's 1,800 schools have a School Street. We're calling on the Mayor and City Council to commit $10 million to equitably fund School Streets across the city.
Safe streets are a matter of equity. On school days, the rate of people injured by drivers was 43% higher outside school buildings where a majority of students were Black or brown, according to Streetsblog.
We're calling on our leaders to improve the program through:
Application Support: Faster application review and approval time and greater communication with schools (this can allow schools to make any necessary adjustments to their application and resubmit before the final deadline).
Funding Allocations: Commit $10 million to the maintenance and expansion of School Streets citywide, including additional resources for Title I schools to sustain an Open Street.
Equity: Commit to five new school-based Full Closure Open Street in every council district by the end of 2024 and conduct proactive outreach to schools to apply. Appoint a staff member to be a 'sustainability coordinator' at every school to address arrival and dismissal/street safety around school access.
