A number of public and safety organizations invite neighborhoods across the five boroughs to apply for a Play Street in their community. Play Streets open neighborhood streets for children to play outdoors safely. The program is administered by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH). Transportation Alternatives and the NYC Strategic Alliance for Health assist communities interested in establishing a Play Street in their neighborhood.

"Children playing on their street was once a common sight in neighborhoods all over New York City," said Paul Steely White, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives. "From stickball to hopscotch, our city's streets offered kids of all ages endless opportunities for active play. The Play Streets program restores this vital element of city life and, as a parent, I'm excited that my daughter can have the opportunity to safely enjoy the outdoor activities that generations of New Yorkers took for granted. Healthy habits start at a young age."

Transportation Alternatives and the NYC Strategic Alliance for Health serve as resources for community-based groups interested in the program. Transportation Alternatives is available to assist with the application process and with a resource guide for organizations that run a Play Street. It also includes mini-case studies of Play Street best practices in Washington Heights and Jackson Heights. Transportation Alternatives' Pedestrian Advocacy Manager, Jennifer So Godzeno is also available to help groups interested in applying. She can be reached at Jennifer@transalt.org

In Transportation Alternatives' February 2011 report, Play Streets: A Case Study, Ciara Ginyard of the East Harlem Tutorial Program said, "Our youth are normally engaged in academic activities, so the Play Street was a great way to get them active out in the community. The Play Street was a perfect match because it involved community organizations that facilitated types of activities that our participants aren't normally exposed to, like karate and yoga."

Groups interested in applying for a Play Street should complete the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's Play Streets Expression of Interest Application. The deadline for submitting these applications is February 21, 2012.

Groups interested in applying for funds to support their Play Streets are encouraged to apply to the Citizens Committee for New York City's New Yorkers For Better Neighborhoods grants program. Groups interested in applying for a grant should submit both their grant application and Play Streets application to the Citizens Committee by January 31.

"Today's parents spend hours upon hours scanning the internet, calling institutions and canvassing their community searching for safe and affordable places for their kids to play," said Javier Lopez, Director of NYC Strategic Alliance for Health. "The community organizations who have sponsored Play Streets over the last two years are not only meeting the demands of those parents, but are also bringing together local leaders to showcase how the community Play Street is a viable, sustainable strategy in addressing childhood obesity in New York City."

"With an obesity epidemic putting our children at risk, we're excited to work with parents all over New York to help kids to put down the video game controller and head outside for active play," added White.

Transportation Alternatives and the NYC Strategic Alliance for Health have worked together since 2009 to promote streets as public places that can increase opportunities for kids to be active and help address the rise in childhood obesity. In New York City, 80 percent of our public space is streets and sidewalks, providing ample room to cure this public health epidemic.

The Play Street application and additional information and tools can be found online: http://transalt.org/campaigns/pedestrian/playstreets

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