Department of Health & Mental Hygiene
Streetsblog Basics
These 10 Neighborhoods Won’t Be Voids in the Bike Network Much Longer, Says DOT
Cycling in NYC is much safer than it was a generation ago, when the city had only a bare-bones bicycle network, but there's still a lot of ground to cover before most New Yorkers feel comfortable getting around by bike. In a new report from DOT, the Department of Health, and NYPD, the city takes stock of its progress on bike safety and lays out its next steps.
July 31, 2017
Health Department: Pedestrian Fatality Rate Highest on Streets in Low-Income Neighborhoods
Pedestrian fatalities in NYC are disproportionately concentrated on streets in high-poverty neighborhoods, according to a new Department of Health analysis.
March 27, 2017
Cycling Is Up Across the Board in NYC, But Not Without Disparities
The number of New Yorkers who regularly ride a bike has risen markedly in recent years, and the trend is especially pronounced among high school students, according to a report published today by the Department of Health [PDF]. While the general upward trend cuts across gender, race, and income levels, the data also show that the growth in cycling is more pronounced among more affluent households than poorer households, and that fewer black New Yorkers bike regularly compared to white or Latino New Yorkers.
October 25, 2016
Health Department: Car Crashes Remain Leading Injury Killer of NYC Kids
Fewer New York City children are dying in traffic, but car crashes continue to be the leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among kids ages 1 to 12, according to an annual child mortality report issued by the Department of Health [PDF].
May 26, 2016
DOH: Motorist Crashes, Again the Top Killer of NYC Kids, Are Preventable
Each year the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene reports on the top causes of injury-related death for children in New York City, and traffic crashes consistently top the list. That remains true in the newest report [PDF].
May 8, 2015
Survey: With Parents Worried About Safety, Few NYC Students Bike to School
Just one percent of sixth-graders surveyed at 15 schools in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and the Bronx said they get to class by bike, scooter, or skateboard, according to a survey released by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene last week [PDF]. Although most students live within walking distance of school, many of them take buses or cars to get to class. The report's implication is clear: The rate of walking and biking to school in NYC may be far higher than other parts of the country, but there's plenty of room for improvement.
November 18, 2014
Traffic Remains the Top Injury-Related Killer of NYC Kids Under 15
Last week, the city announced that it is kicking off the school year with the gradual roll-out of all 140 school zone speed cameras allowed under state law. There's good reason for the expansion: Despite drops in fatality rates over the past decade, a report from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene shows that traffic remains the leading injury-related killer of New York City children.
September 8, 2014
Poor NYC Neighborhoods “Less Conducive to Walking” Than They Appear
A fact sheet [PDF] released by the city's health department today makes the case that New York City's walkability contributes to the health of residents -- but a deeper look into the research shows that not all New Yorkers are benefitting equally from walkable neighborhoods.
February 12, 2014
City Releases New Design Recommendations for Sidewalks
Last month at the the eighth Fit City conference, the same day DOT unveiled a new pedestrian wayfinding initiative, the city released an update to its Active Design Guidelines focusing specifically on sidewalk design. Although the new guidelines are just suggestions, the new document lays out a vision for how the city's sidewalks can be designed to encourage more walking, and it has the imprimatur of the mayor and the commissioners of transportation, city planning, health, and design and construction.
July 9, 2013
How Many NYC Children Were Injured or Killed by Muni-Meters Last Week?
It barely made news and we didn't hear a peep about it from any elected, but at least three children were seriously injured by drivers in Brooklyn and the Bronx late last week.
May 7, 2013