8 APRIL 8, 2021 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Queens offi cials applaud city’s plan to increase
previously cut Dept. of Sanitation services
Department of Sanitation Commissioner Edward Grayson, a Middle Village resident, will have the resources to tackle the city’s garbage problem.
Courtesy of the mayor’s offi ce
BY BILL PARRY
BPARRY@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
With wind-blown trash creating
eyesores in every corner of
the borough, Queens elected
officials are welcoming City Hall’s
initiatives to restore the Department of
Sanitation (DSNY) services that were
cut during the COVID-19 economic
crisis. The plan includes an increase in
dedicated litter basket service by more
than 100 trucks per week and restores
funding for Sunday trash receptacle
pickups.
“The city’s decision to restore Sunday
litter basket service is welcome news,”
Councilman Peter Koo said. “Last year’s
service cuts left our litter baskets overfl
owing and bags piled up on street
corners, especially on the weekends
along our busiest commercial corridors.
As the weather gets warmer and more
people spend their time outdoors, additional
Sunday service means cleaner
streets and an improved quality of life
for all New Yorkers.”
DSNY has also created an all-new
Precision Cleaning Initiative, with borough
based teams to conduct targeted
cleanings of litter conditions, illegal
dumping and overflowing garbage
baskets. Additionally, DSNY introduced
its new Community Clean-Up Vans to
support neighborhood cleanups across
the city.
“Last year’s budget cuts to sanitation
hit my district hard, which impacted our
residents, small businesses and visitors
alike,” Councilwoman Adrienne Adams
said. “Restoring baseline funding for
litter basket service, the launch of the
Precision Cleaning Initiative and the
new Community Clean-Up Vans will go
a long way toward making our streets
and commercial corridors cleaner and
healthier for everyone. Our communities
deserve clean streets and improved
quality of life as we recover from this
pandemic.”
Councilman I. Daneek Miller allocated
funding last winter for additional DSNY
eff orts to clean up overfl owing trash
bins along some of southeast Queens’
most heavily traffi cked corridors.
“During the pandemic and its aft ermath,
we saw fi rsthand how vital DSNY
service is in maintaining the cleanliness
of our commercial corridors and city
streets,” Miller said. “With the worst
of the pandemic now behind us, we are
more than looking forward to the restoration
of full service and ensuring that
our communities are kept clean, and
residents are able to once again enjoy
the quality of life they deserve.”
Garbage-strewn streets also plagued
Corona, Elmhurst and Jackson Heights,
neighborhoods that were among the
hardest-hit during the pandemic.
“A clean neighborhood is about having
quality of life and throughout this pandemic,
our community together with
my offi ce and partners like DSNY and
ACE have worked towards reducing the
garbage issues,” Councilman Francisco
Moya said. “The restoration of funding
and the launch of these new initiatives
are much needed and will ensure that
our streets are a place New Yorkers
can be proud of, especially across the
hardest-hit neighborhoods. This is one
step in how we improve quality of life
for the most vulnerable communities.”
Councilman Robert Holden was
pleased with the new plan.
“These new initiatives are a step in
the right direction toward restoring
our city,” Holden said. “New York’s
Strongest do a great job of keeping our
streets clean under the leadership of
Middle Village’s own DSNY Commissioner
Edward Grayson and they should
have all the funding and tools they need
to keep our neighborhoods clean and
healthy.”
Grayson, who grew up in Ridgewood,
delivered his own message to residents.
“New York City is getting back on its
feet, and New Yorkers deserve to place
their feet on clean streets,” Grayson
said. “Restoration of baseline funding
for basket service, the community
cleanup vans and PCI mean more ways
for Sanitation and our neighbors across
the city to work together. Use litter
baskets properly, for small items like
coff ee cups — never for household or
business trash — and call us to report an
urgent issue or schedule a community
cleanup.”
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