A new report finds that low-income neighborhoods and communities of color in New York City are facing the greatest danger from traffic crashes, even as many of those same areas have seen far fewer street-safety upgrades. The analysis maps serious-crash incidents against where the city has built neighborhood slow zones, intersection treatments and protected lanes, and it shows sharp mismatches across the five boroughs. For residents in the hardest-hit neighborhoods, that means living with more risk on streets that have received relatively little of the city’s safety investment.
As reported by amNY, the study, produced by the Center for an Urban Future with partner Tech:NYC, compares serious-crash rates per 10,000 residents with where the city has installed slow zones, protected lanes and intersection projects. The authors argue that the city should move away from opt-in, request-based programs and instead automatically qualify neighborhoods that exceed the citywide crash average for rapid safety interventions.
Where crash rates are highest
According to a report by the Center for an Urban Future, the citywide average for serious crashes is about 47 per 10,000 residents, but some neighborhoods climb above 80 per 10,000. The study highlights Canarsie and Flatlands at roughly 84 serious crashes per 10,000 residents and East Flatbush at about 67. East New York and Cypress Hills come in near 66.6 per 10,000. Parts of the Bronx, including Melrose, Mott Haven, Longwood and Hunts Point, show similarly elevated rates close to 69.9 per 10,000.
Safety upgrades cluster elsewhere
The report finds that neighborhood slow-zone miles and intersection projects are heavily concentrated in parts of Manhattan and North Brooklyn, while other boroughs see far less coverage. Downtown Brooklyn has roughly 17.3 miles of neighborhood slow zones and the Lower East Side about 11.4 miles, but much of central and eastern Queens has zero miles of neighborhood slow zones. High-crash neighborhoods such as East New York and Brownsville have only a handful of slow-zone miles and relatively few intersection treatments, according to the analysis.
Report urges a rapid response
The Center for an Urban Future recommends creating a street-safety rapid response team that can identify elevated-crash areas and tailor engineering fixes. It also urges orienting the next streets master plan to prioritize protected bus and bike lanes in places where crash rates are above average. The report further calls for staff with “credible lived experience” to work with local elected officials and community groups on quicker, localized projects.
City reaction and the case for equity
In a statement to amNY, NYC Department of Transportation spokesperson Vincent Barone noted that city traffic deaths have fallen since Vision Zero launched in 2014 and said lower-income neighborhoods and neighborhoods of color have experienced the sharpest declines. Tech:NYC chief Julie Samuels called the new analysis optimistic, saying the city already has proven tools, including slow zones, leading-pedestrian intervals and major redesigns, that reduce deaths and injuries if they are deployed where they are needed most…