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According to the American Lung Association, people of color in the US are more than 3 times more likely than white people to be breathing the most polluted air, a manifestation of environmental racism [11].
In NYC, African American and Latino patients make up more than 80% of all asthma-related hospitalizations and deaths [12].
The Bronx has the highest proportion of racial and ethnic minorities across all 5 NYC boroughs [13].
Constructed in the 1950s and 1960s, the Cross-Bronx Expressway cuts through Black and Latino working-class communities in the borough [5].
The Cross-Bronx Expressway
The Cross-Bronx Expressway
Air pollution, particularly fine particulate matter, heightens the risk of developing asthma and worsens existing symptoms.
Major roadways, such as the Cross-Bronx Expressway, emit large quantities of particulate matter, which is made up of fine particles that can enter your lungs [14].
Every day, tens of thousands of cars drive on the roadway and 300 diesel trucks every hour.
The Cross-Bronx expressway greatly contributes to the exacerbation of asthma in the South Bronx, as well as elevated rates of heart and lung disease [5].
Last December, Mayor Eric Adams announced a study to reimagine the Cross-Bronx Expressway and ameliorate the injustices that the highway has produced for decades.
The city plans to release a multi-year plan with project proposals based on community input by the end of 2024 [5].
REIMAGINING THE CROSS-BRONX EXPRESSWAY
Make sure your voice is heard by calling your NYC Council representative to ensure that Mayor Adams's study eliminates "Asthma Alley" and your children can breathe.
Sample Phone Call Script
Sample Phone Call Script
"Hello! My name is [full name] and I am one of your constituents. I live at [full address]. I am calling to urge you to work with Mayor Eric Adams to ensure that the new initiative to reimagine the Cross-Bronx Expressway yields tangible results in improving health outcomes in the South Bronx, particularly by eliminating “Asthma Alley.” Our children deserve to breathe clean air. "
References
References
[1] Abate, B. (2023, January 8). Understanding Hunts Point, Bronx’s Asthma Alley. The Red
[2] Cain, A., Reznik, M. (2016). Asthma Management in New York City Schools: a Classroom
Teacher Perspective. Journal of Asthma. 53(7), 744-750. https://doi.org/10.3109/02770903.2015.1135946
[3] The New York State Assembly. A Special Report on Asthma from the New York State
Assembly Committee on State-Federal Relations. https://nyassembly.gov/comm/StateFederal/20010901/
[4] Segregation by Design. The Bronx: Pollution.
https://www.segregationbydesign.com/the-bronx/pollution
[5] The City of New York. (2022, December 19). Mayor Adams Kicks Off Landmark Study to
Reimagine Cross-Bronx Expressway. https://www.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/919-22/mayor-adams-kicks-off-landmark-study-reimagine-cross-bronx-expressway#/0
[6] New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. (2021). Disparities among
Children with Asthma in New York City [Fact Sheet]. https://www.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/epi/databrief126.pdf
[7] PolicyMap. (2020). Crude percent of adults who currently have asthma in 2020. [Interactive
Map]. https://harvard-policymap-com.ezp-prod1.hul.harvard.edu/newmaps#/
[8] Gonzalez, J., Lankar, V., Handgun-Balkir, Y. (2021). Air Pollutants and Childhood Asthma in
the Bronx. Journal of Undergraduate Chemistry Research. 20(3), 38-42. https://www.westmont.edu/sites/default/files/2021-08/Jovan%20Gonzalez.pdf
[9] World Health Organization. (2023, May 4). Asthma.
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/asthma
[10] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, April 7). Covid-19: People with
Moderate to Severe Asthma. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/asthma.html#:~:text=Risk%20of%20severe%20illness%20from,Take%20steps%20to%20protect%20yourself.
[11] Elian, M, B. (2021, April 21). Barriers to Breath: The Health Disparities of ‘Asthma Alley’.
[12] Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Asthma.
[13] Wadhera, R. K., Wadhera, P., Gaba, P., Figueroa, J. F., Maddox, K. E. Yeh, R. W., Shen, C.
(2020). Variation in Covid-19 Hospitalizations and Deaths Across New York City Boroughs. Journal of the American Medical Association. 323(21), 2192-2195. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.7197
[14] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023, February 16). Air Quality: Particle
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