NEW YORK – On Thursday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced a new $ 14.5 million grant to create a cleaner city through a major cleanup protocol update in the five boroughs.
The “Get Stuff Clean” initiative will invest $ 14.5 million in the fiscal year alone to clean up more than 1,000 “No Man’s Land” brownfields – empty and dirty areas – around the city, increase the garbage can service. rubbish, expand the application of illegal dumping cameras and attract more rat exterminators – resulting in faster and more reliable cleaning of every corner of the city.
Adams was joined by Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi, New York City (NYC) Department of Sanitation Commissioner Jessica Tisch, Department of Parks and Recreation (New York City Parks) Commissioner of New York City Sue Donoghue, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) of New York City Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala, Commissioner of the Department of Transportation of New York City (DOT) Ydanis Rodriguez, and Commissioner of the Department of Health and of the New York City Mental Health Department (DOHMH), Dr. Ashwin Vasan, revealed plans for the funds.
“From day one of this administration, we have focused on ‘doing things right’ and today we specifically deliver on the promise to ‘clean things up’ for New Yorkers,” Mayor Adams said. “Much of today’s initiative is the collaboration between agencies that will result in cleaner streets, more jobs, fewer rodents and a better quality of life for our city’s 8.8 million residents. This $ 14.5 million investment will help build a cleaner and more welcoming city in all five boroughs and reach more than 1,000 areas that have long been underserved. New Yorkers are tired of seeing garbage cans and trash overflowing under overpasses, so our administration intends to offer everyone a better maintained and more functional city. “
According to the mayor’s office, “Get Stuff Clean” includes the following initiatives and new funding to keep New York City’s streets, parks and public spaces clean:
- 200 new DSNY workers will be added to support cleanup in all five districts.
- NYC Parks will add new night shifts for hotspot cleaning and mice mitigation within the city parks, consisting of 240 NYC Parks locations.
- $ 7.1 million for DSNY this fiscal year alone and more than $ 6.5 million a year thereafter to regularly clean up approximately 1,500 “No Man’s Land” areas around the city that previous administrations have brought under jurisdiction. other city agencies without dedicated cleaning resources. DSNY will also organize a new unit, the Targeted Neighborhood Task Force (TNT), to conduct regular cleanups in these areas.
- $ 4.9 million for DSNY to implement Phase Two of the bin service plan this year and resources in future years to service the bins at bridge entrances and along the city park perimeters. Phase one of the waste bin service plan, which went into effect on July 1, is already showing promising results: a 55% reduction in waste bin complaints, bringing them back in line with pre-pandemic levels. Phase two covers additional baskets in some of the busiest tourist areas in the city.
- $ 470,000 this fiscal year and $ 1.1 million a year thereafter for a partnership between DSNY and DOT to conduct regular cleaning of highway access and exit ramps. Like bridges and park borders, freeway ramps are often one of the first places visitors to New York City see. They need to be cleaned thoroughly and regularly, but this DSNY feature was removed at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and is now being restored.
- The Adams administration is deepening its investments in dumping control by adding $ 1.4 million this fiscal year and nearly $ 400,000 a year thereafter to expand the application of cameras against the scourge of illegal dumping. People involved in illegal landfills will regularly face $ 4,000 fines and vehicle hijackings with these new cameras as part of an expansion of a highly successful and popular law enforcement strategy.
- $ 630,000 this fiscal year and nearly $ 1 million next year for DOHMH to expand mouse mitigation efforts.
- DEP will accelerate the hiring of an additional 50 employees to inspect and clean sewer grates, also known as wells. Clean, unobstructed and unobstructed sewer grates minimize flooding and improve the functionality of the sewer system.
“Litter on highway ramps or along our iconic bridges can add a sense of clutter that makes these public spaces less welcoming to both New Yorkers and tourists,” said Commissioner DOT Rodriguez. “DOT is proud of the work we have done to keep these spaces clean in the past and we are thrilled to do even more in partnership with DSNY to make all of these public spaces shine. Thanks to Mayor Adams’ incredible leadership and investment in “Get Stuff Clean”, the future and cleanliness of the New York City public realm is bright! “
“Ultimately, public health is about improving people’s lives and helping them live longer, healthier lives,” said DOHMH Commissioner Dr. Vasan. “This comes in many different forms of action, including things like pest control and hygiene and addressing social determinants of health such as transportation. And we trust our partners in this vision, such as NYC Parks, DSNY and DOT, and we look forward to supporting this work to clean up our city and make New York City the healthiest big city in the world. “