The Asthma, Diesel Connection: Diesel Polluting Facilities, MTA Depot Expansions, and 1996 Asthma Hospitalizations For Children 0-4 Years Old in Manhattan

 (Click picture to view as PDF)

Short Description: Diesel polluting facilities in Manhattan and their proximity to ZIP codes with high asthma hospitalization rates for children 0-4 years old in 1996.

Data Details: The basemap polygons are 1990 US Census Zone Improvement Plan (ZIP) Code boundaries. The dataset was obtained from the New York City Department of Health's (NYCDOH) Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) data on asthma rates for children ages 0 to 4 years old in 1996. The legend is classified in quantiles. The asthma data for residents of all ages in the dialog boxes for ZIP Codes 10029, 10030, and 10035 were quoted from a research paper by Dr. Luz Claudio at the Mount Sinai Medical Center. The Department of Transportation (DOT) Truck Depots, Port Authority (PA) Bus Terminals, Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Bus Depots, and MTA Bus Parking Lots were geocoded by the GIS Mapping Specialist. The 96th street demarcation line was generated by the WE ACT GIS Mapping Specialist. The Major Highways were derived from the US Census street shapefiles. Magnetic north is up.

Credits: Map prepared by Carlos M. Jusino at West Harlem Environmental Action, Inc. (WE ACT) with assistance from the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health (CCCEH), using ArcView® GIS v3.1 software from the Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI).

Support: Funded in part by the former W. Alton Jones Foundation (now Blue Moon Fund) and by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS).

Map Maker’s Notes: The black dashed line representing the demarcation between Northern Manhattan and Southern Manhattan is a virtual division marked by 96th Street.

A BUS DEPOT is an expanded version of a BUS TERMINAL. A depot contains maintenance equipment that a terminal does not. A terminal is often just a way-point for passengers and a turn-around point for buses.