Project by Sunni Hu
Across all scales, from individual ghost bikes to citywide crash density, from street-level hotspots to neighborhood-level EMI, a consistent pattern emerges: cyclist risk is shaped not by where people live, but by where the city moves. The most dangerous places for cyclists are defined by movement, speed, and land-use intensity. Bridge approaches, multi-lane arterials, commercial corridors, and mixed-use activity centers carry far more cyclists and vehicles than their resident population suggests, producing structural exposure that density alone cannot explain. In contrast, quieter residential neighborhoods show much lower risk, supported by slower, steadier, and more predictable travel patterns. Taken together, these maps reveal that cycling safety in New York City is fundamentally a question of urban form and mobility flow rather than residential distribution. Recognizing this imbalance is essential for designing streets that reflect how the city actually moves and for reducing preventable harm along its most heavily traveled corridors.
