NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – Comptroller Scott Stringer is calling on the city to build hundreds of new playgrounds after a report found New York City kids are dealing with a severe shortage.
Stringer released the report Saturday at the city's oldest playground – the 100-year-old Seward Park on the Lower East Side.
He says the report documents a severe shortage of public play areas in the city, especially in neighborhoods that have seen rapid population growth.
The city hasn't sufficiently invested in recreational facilities and hasn't anticipated the need for them, Stringer says, and now the five boroughs are severely lacking in public play areas.
He is calling on the city to build 200 new playgrounds over the next five years to meet the needs of the youngest New Yorkers.
"Some neighborhoods have as many as 39 playgrounds and others only have five," Stringer said. "Take Bensonhurst for example, where in the past seven years there was a 37 percent increase in the population of kids, yet the number of playgrounds have not increased in that period."
Stringer says New York City ranked a dismal 48 among America's 100 largest cities when it comes to playgrounds per capita.
On top of that, he says conditions at hundreds of city playgrounds were found to be substandard during their latest inspections, with unsafe playing conditions and more.
Stringer says there are ways to pay for the new parks, including bonds, grants and partnerships with the private sector.
Like 1010 WINS on Facebook and follow @1010WINS on Twitter to get breaking news, traffic, and weather for New York City.
