“We’re no longer just going to talk about cleaning up our streets or taking steps to fight climate change, but we’re going to actually put really money behind these initiatives and lead by example here in New York City,” said Mayor Adams. “To begin Earth Week, we’re committing $11 million to cleanliness and expanded mobility so that our city can come back stronger than ever. This announcement includes items that have been talked about for years, but we’re finally ‘Getting Stuff Done’ for our neighborhoods.”
“Environmental justice begins at the street level, and clean streets are vital to vibrant neighborhoods and our city’s economic recovery,” said DSNY Commissioner Tisch. “The nearly 10,000 DSNY employees — and I’m proud to count myself as one of them — are excited to be getting more of the tools we need to do our job of keeping the city healthy, safe, and clean.”
“Today’s announcement is a great way to kick off Earth Week by delivering cleaner and more efficient streets to New Yorkers,” said New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “I thank Mayor Eric Adams for his leadership on climate and sustainability matters and look forward to New Yorkers enjoying clear bike lanes and cleaner streets. And I welcome new Sanitation Commissioner Jessica Tisch as DOT continues our partnership with DSNY."
Today’s $11 million investment includes:
- A full restoration of alternate side parking (ASP), to allow DSNY’s mechanical brooms to do their jobs. Mechanical brooms are the city’s most effective tools for street cleaning — sweeping litter from along the curb on thousands of miles of New York City streets. ASP had been partially suspended as a COVID-19 pandemic measure, and this restoration is not only part of a return to normal, but to the high level of street cleanliness New Yorkers expect and deserve.
- Funding for both equipment and personnel to perform year-round street cleaning on protected bike lanes and other narrow infrastructure. DSNY will begin piloting sweeping operations this summer using a fleet of 10 Micromobility Operations Machines (MOMs), similar to the ones used to plow bike lanes effectively during winter 2021-2022. DSNY will have several dozen of these units in two different sizes by the end of next year.
“It's critical that we support a plan that keeps our streets clean and safe, supporting micromobility and helping reduce the reliance on fossil fuel burning cars,” said Julie Tighe, president, New York League of Conservation Voters. “The New York League of Conservation Voters is excited to see this new investment to keep bike lanes clean so more riders can take advantage of reliable transportation that helps keep our city healthier and safer, and we thank Mayor Adams and Commissioner Tisch for their leadership.”
“We applaud the New York City Department of Sanitation’s commitment to deploy new bike-lane sized sweepers this year,” said Eric McClure, executive director, StreetsPAC. “The significant investment in more nimble sweepers is critical for keeping up with the building of more safe, physically protected bike lanes, coupled with the full restoration of alternate-side parking, will go a long way toward giving New Yorkers the clean streets and sidewalks we all deserve. Kudos to Commissioner Tisch and Mayor Adams for this investment in cleaner and safer streets.”
Each of these initiatives builds on existing work by DSNY, and takes services for New Yorkers to a new level. During the partial ASP suspension, DSNY and the City Cleanup Corps continued to sweep the streets as effectively and as fully as possible. This announcement will facilitate that work further. Similarly, the MOMs street sweeping program follows a successful implementation of these devices for plowing — often simultaneous with car-lane clearance.
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