Staten Island Progress

December 19, 2013

This week, Mayor Bloomberg will visit one of the five boroughs each day to highlight where each borough stood in 2001 and where it stands today in key areas. Today, the Mayor discussed the progress in Staten Island at the St. George Ferry Terminal, where he announced that New York City is on pace to reach four million total jobs for the first time.

Population Growth

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more people are moving into the city than moving out now for the first time since before 1950.

• Since 2001, Staten Island has grown by more than 17,500 people, bringing its population to 470,700.
• Staten Island is home to over 98,000 immigrants, a 36 percent increase since 2000, the highest of any borough

Public Safety

Staten Island has become a safer place to live, work and visit than ever before:

• Through December 15th, overall crime is down by 16.2 percent since 2001 – 3,236 in 2013 compared with 3,863 at the same time in 2001.
• Through December 15th, murders have fallen by 45.5 percent – 6 in 2013 compared with 11 at the same time in 2001.
• Through December 15th, traffic fatalities are down by 66.7 percent since 2001 – 9 in 2013 compared with 27 at the same time in 2001.

Education

In Staten Island, 12 new schools have been created and more than 6,800 new school seats have been added.

In the 2012-2013 school year, 74.6 percent of Staten Island high school students graduate within four years, an increase of 12.6 percent from 2005, when the State started its calculation.

Economic Development

As a result of the City’s five-borough economic development strategy, Staten Island’s economy continues to grow:

• Private sector jobs in the borough have increased by nearly 5,000 to over 92,200 since 2002 – an increase of 5.7 percent, compared to less than three percent growth nationally.
• From 2002 through 2012, there was also a nearly 19 percent increase in the number of private employers in the borough – and a 17 percent increase citywide – compared to 12.6 percent nationally.

The Leisure and Hospitality industry has also expanded in Staten Island:

• For example, three new hotels have opened in Staten Island since 2002 – with another one under development.
• In addition, the number of leisure and hospitality jobs has increased by 31.9 percent since 2001 to 8,500.

Affordable Housing

Over the last 12 years, the City has financed the preservation and construction of more than 2,500 units of affordable housing for Staten Island residents.

Parks

During the past twelve years, the Administration has invested more than $5 billion in capital improvements in city parks:

• This is the biggest investment for parks made by any administration in history.
• Across the city, approximately 1,755 parks and recreation facilities have been redesigned and upgraded.

The City also dramatically increased the size of the biggest and best municipal park system in the nation by adding more than 870 acres of parkland and more than 490 acres of new waterfront park land across the city.

• In Staten Island, 18 new parks have been added, as well as 364 acres of parkland and 78 acres of waterfront acquisitions.
• The new Freshkills Park will give Staten Island and New York City 2,000 more acres of parkland in the years ahead.
• As part of the MillionTreesNYC initiative, more than 135,500 new trees have been planted in the borough.

Now, approximately 76 percent of New Yorkers live within a 10-minute walk of a park or playground – an increase of a quarter-million people in just the past six years.

Arts & Cultural Affairs

The City has invested more than $3 billion for cultural capital projects in all five boroughs since 2001.

In Staten Island, 50 projects have been completed, including:

• The creation of a new home for the Staten Island Museum at Snug Harbor Cultural Center; new exhibits at the Staten Island Zoo, a new outdoor pavilion at the Staten Island Children’s Museum; and major equipment purchases for St. George Theater and Historic Richmond Town.
• Commissioned 11 permanent public art projects in the borough through the City’s Percent for Art program.

Compared with 2001, annual regrant support for individual artists and small arts groups in the borough has increased by nearly 150 percent to $188,640.

Public Health

Over the last 12 years, Staten Island’s quality of life – and length of life – have both improved:

On average, men in the borough live nearly three years longer than they did in 2001, and women now live more than two years longer.

Between 2002 and 2012, the smoking rate in Staten Island fell from 27.2 percent to 16.5 percent – a decrease of 39.3 percent.

Contact:

Marc La Vorgna (212) 788-2958