Road Pollution Threatens 244 NYC Schools, Report Finds

NEW YORK — These teachers might want to close their windows. Fumes from passing cars could threaten students' health at scores of New York City schools located near major roadways, a new report says.

Some 244 public schools are within 500 feet of a highway, truck route or other vehicular artery, according to the Localize.city report released Monday. That proximity puts kids at a higher risk of health problems linked to long-term exposure to traffic pollution, such as impaired lung development and cancer, the home-search platform's report says.

Parents "might not pay attention to hidden hazards of air quality, even though pollution could have a big impact on their children’s ability to learn," Localize.city urban planner Liat Halpern said in a statement. "After all, kids attend city schools 180 days a year, often running around at recess every day, breathing in the air — and potentially toxic fine particulate matter."

The list — published as the city's 1.1 million public school students prepare to return to class on Thursday — includes soon-to-open schools that will serve some of the city's youngest students near some of its busiest roadways, Localize.city found.

For instance, P.S. 398 in Jackson Heights will welcome 476 students this month to a five-story building just 200 feet from the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, while Sunset Park's P.S./I.S. 746 will open near the massive highway next year, the report says. And East New York's P.S./I.S. 667 will have space next fall for 1,000 kids in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade along a pair of high-traffic roads and truck routes.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has found health risks linked to vehicular pollution, which could have academic consequences. Students who move to a school with more pollution from traffic saw a drop in test scores, according to a National Bureau of Economic Research study that Localize.city cited.

The EPA suggests that schools upgrade air filtration in classrooms to mitigate exposure to pollution. Students should also limit physical activity during peak traffic times and schools should train staffers on indoor air quality issues, according to EPA guidance citied by Localize.city's report.

Use this map to see schools at risk for traffic pollution in your neighborhood, according to Localize.city.