Motor vehicles accidents are responsible for more child deaths than any other cause, according to a 2007 Health Department study, which took a five-year retrospective look at child deaths from 2001 through 2005.

Queens and Brooklyn's streets were identified as the most dangerous for children, but no matter the borough, the roadways surrounding city schools consistently proved the most treacherous; half of all fatal child pedestrian accidents occurring within 700 feet of an elementary, middle or high school.

Hoping to improve statistics the Department of Transportation has committed to the Safe Routes to Schools initiative, a program designed to focus safety improvements at city schools with the highest accident rates.

Last week, DOT announced the second set of schools to receive safety improvements. Of the 135 public, private and parochial schools slated to receive new crosswalks, speed bumps, painted medians and signals, 33 are in Queens.

"Safe Routes to Schools takes a comprehensive view of the streets surrounding schools and tailors our best measures to reduce pedestrian accidents,-- DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan said.

Congressman Anthony Weiner (D-Kew Gardens), along with Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-Brooklyn) and Congresswoman Nydia Velasquez (D-Brooklyn) were instrumental in securing federal funds for the program.

"We must calm traffic in areas near our children's schools,-- Weiner said. "Better signs, clearer crosswalks and better enforcement will need to be implemented.--

But Wiley Norvell, communications director for Transportation Alternatives, the organization that created the Safe Routes to Schools model, said DOT must turn its attention to redesigning city streets in order to reduce speeding.

"Drivers are going to drive whatever the design of the road lets them drive,-- Norvell said, adding, "It's more than posting signs. It's designing lower speeds into these streets. Where it's been done it's been successful.--

Carla Quintero, Deputy Director of Planning for Transportation Alternatives, is similarly ambitious in her approach to decreasing the number of unintentional injury-related deaths near schools. She said crossing guards, though helpful, are not nearly as essential as improved infrastructure.

"That's generally the only thing people know how to ask for,-- Quintero said. "But there's really a lot the City can do in addition to providing crossing guards to make the streets safer.--

For a complete list of the schools set to receive safety improvements, call 311 or visit www.nyc.gov/dot.