Transportation Safety & Access

View the Transportation Safety Dashboard

The New Orleans Health Department, in partnership with the Department of Public Works, the Mayor’s Office of Resilience, and the Office of Information Technology and Innovation, has launched a publicly available Transportation Safety analysis to bring attention to the rise in traffic crashes, especially those that result in a fatality or injury occurring within the city. The online tool lets viewers see who, when, and where the most severe traffic crashes have occurred in New Orleans.

The City of New Orleans has been working to address transportation safety issues through a complete streets approach to road projects and by centering safety in our transportation program, as outlined in the Moving New Orleans Transportation Action Plan. Traffic fatalities persist and have been trending upward in recent years, with 2021 having the highest number of traffic fatalities in nearly 20 years.

Our Mission

Our mission is to improve access to all modes of transportation and safer routes for residents to access healthcare, school, and work is a primary goal of the New Orleans Health Department. In the past, our agency had primarily focused on bicycle and pedestrian safety. Today, with traffic fatalities and serious injuries on the rise, we are embarking on a new strategy with partners at the Department of Public Works and RoadWork NOLA to reduce traffic deaths and serious injuries for all road users. The new strategy utilizes the federally recognized Safe System Approach. Six principles form the basis of the Safe System approach:

  • Deaths and serious injuries are unacceptable
  • Humans make mistakes
  • Humans are vulnerable
  • Responsibility is shared
  • Safety is proactive
  • Redundancy is crucial

Our Goals

The Transportation Safety Dashboard is a compilation of fatal, severe, and moderate injury crashes that have occurred within the city boundaries of New Orleans. The information for the crash data is obtained from the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LADOTD) crash records database and populated by reports submitted by law enforcement officers throughout the state, including the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD). The reporting officer determines the severity of a crash, and severity types are defined in the Louisiana Crash Report Manual.

  • Take a data-based approach to assess the root causes of traffic-related fatalities and severe injury
  • Partner with other city agencies and the public to create safer street networks for all people traveling on the roadways
  • Reduce risky driving behavior such as drinking and driving, distracted driving, and speeding through targeted outreach and engagement.
  • Increase mobility access to health and wealth places in partnership with the Regional Transit Authority and other community partners.

Crash data in the Transportation Safety Dashboard is updated at least once a year when LADOTD issues the full crash dataset from the previous year. For official inquiries on crashes in the City of New Orleans, contact the New Orleans Police Department Traffic Division at 504-821-222 or online at https://nola.gov/nopd/nopdonline/.

For More Information and Traffic Safety Resources, Contact: healthdepartment@nola.gov

Crossing Guard Supplies

The New Orleans Health Department (NOHD) will select up to 10 New Orleans Public Charter Schools to receive supplies to outfit a crossing guard program at one campus. Crossing guard program supplies that will be provided include hand held stop paddles, high visibility vests and rain jackets, a set of traffic cones, and gloves for each crossing guard. NOHD will favor applications that have a comprehensive plan of how their school will staff and sustain a crossing guard program. Crossing guards may be existing staff, parent volunteers, and/or a part of a new hire's responsibilities. NOHD wants to know how your school will maintain a crossing guard program if your campus is selected to receive supplies. Please feel free to contact the New Orleans Health Department, with any questions - william.johnson@nola.gov