Report: Youth Harmed in East Harlem Auto Accidents
Youth in public housing areas are victims of auto accidents far more frequently than other areas, found a report released by nonprofit Transportation Alternatives, an alternative transportation advocate.
“Of the East Side’s top 10 intersections for motor vehicle crashes that kill or injure child (or youth under 18) pedestrians and bicyclists, nine are located in close proximity to public housing developments in East Harlem and the Lower East Side,” states the report “Child Crashes: An Unequal Burden.”
Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito suggests adding bike lanes in East Harlem, as well as safer driving habits.
A crash victim in East Harlem, or Community District 11, is a child 43 percent of the time. The number declines to less than 15 percent on the Upper East Side, or neighboring Community District 8. Another area analyzed was the Lower East Side/Chinatown, in which children account for 3 out of every 10 crash victims.
Contributing factors may include more children in public housing developments and more reckless driving near public housing. The report calls for increased traffic enforcement by the New York City Police Department, which NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly has noted recently.
The report is the second in a “crash map” series, which uses data from the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles from 1995–2009.
Breaking Into the Film and TV Industry
New Yorkers learned from industry veterans about how to break into film and television production on Jan. 18.
Almost everyone starts out as a production assistant (PA), an entry-level position.
Graduates of the Made in NY PA Training Program—a free program of intensive hands on training for four and a half weeks held by the mayor’s office of Media and Entertainment and Brooklyn Workforce Innovations—talked about what the job entailed and what makes a good PA.
Nick Thomason, the production coordinator for the HBO series “Boardwalk Empire” said a strong work ethic, being self-motivated, and understanding that being on time—you'll be fired if you are late—means being early is crucial.
“You have to be prepared to not work for four months,” said Thomason, according to the release. “You have to budget your money.”
The next free discussion of the Made in NY Industry Series will highlight stage and music careers on Jan. 23 at 6:30 p.m. at the Apollo Theater.
Measured Pollutant Levels for Second Ave. Subway Construction
Second Avenue subway construction does not exceed accepted pollutant levels, said a report by Parsons Brinckerhoff, a contractor for the project.
The report studied two sections of Second Avenue, between 89 St. and 83 St., and 74 St. and 68 St., during a four-week period beginning Sept. 12, 2011. It assessed construction activity and measured particulate matter and gas pollutants. It notes levels of gas pollutants and one particulate matter exceeded reference levels at night and on six different days.
The study was reviewed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and will be presented on Jan. 26 to the Second Avenue Subway Task Force Committee of Community Board 6.
Complaints about noise, dust, and other byproducts of construction have been made by store owners and residents along the planned subway route for Phase 1, 63rd Street to 96th Street on the Upper West Side.
Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney gave the section “Mitigation of Construction Impact” a C- grade in her 2010 Second Avenue Subway Report Card. The negatives included sanitation problems, noise at night, and failing to recognize that older buildings along the construction route needed to be reinforced due to structural weakness.
The Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) has since addressed many concerns and now ends work at 10 p.m. It halted construction for a week last year to construct muck houses (enclosed noise-insulated structures), began using high-pressure water spray to capture rising dust, and adjusted the ventilation system, according to a Dec. 19 MTA report.
