Mayor Adams, Sanitation Commissioner Tisch Announce $11 Million Commitment for New Street Cleaning Initiatives

April 18, 2022

Part of Earth Week Commitment to Getting Stuff Done for NYC Neighborhoods and Planet

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch today announced an $11 million investment in cleaner streets and improved mobility for DSNY. As part of an effort to make New York City streets cleaner, alternate side parking will be fully restored beginning July 5, 2022, and in an effort to reduce New York City’s carbon footprint, funding for year-round protected bike lane cleaning will make biking an even more reliable mode of transportation for New Yorkers. This $11 million commitment will appear in the Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) executive budget to be released later this month.

“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.”

“New Yorkers are back out on the streets, and the city is ready,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. “Today we are announcing the restoration of Alternate Side Parking and more importantly, increasing our current street sweeping efforts. We are redefining what it means to clear a street. DSNY will roll out equipment to provide year-round clearing of all our city’s bike lanes.”

“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.

“This investment in smaller bike-lane sized street sweepers is a win for cyclists, and I commend the mayor and the Department of Sanitation for this commitment,” said Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine. “These smaller sweepers will allow the city to harden our bike lanes, making them less susceptible to car intrusion while also ensuring that they are clean and clear of debris. This is an important step towards making our city more resilient and sustainable as we continue to encourage New Yorkers to ditch their private car and take bikes, buses and trains to work.”

“Today’s very exciting announcements represent a set of critical steps in our city’s recovery and our city’s commitment to investing in innovative ways to ensure clean streets for all neighborhoods, said New York City Councilmember Sandy Nurse, chair, Committee on Sanitation and Solid Waste Management. “Most importantly, the restoration of ASP is a welcome relief to communities that have faced an unprecedented increase in litter during the pandemic.”

“One of the most common constituent complaints across any district is sanitation,” said New York City Council Majority Whip Selvena N. Brooks-Powers, chair, Committee on Transportation. “I applaud the mayor and his administration for not only recognizing clean and well-maintained streets that ensure New Yorkers can readily access micro-mobility, but by investing in real solutions. Implementing innovative programs will help maintain the unique fabric of our communities and allow New Yorkers to more easily and safely traverse our streets.”

“New Yorkers deserve better than what we’re experiencing now, and these efforts are a step towards achieving a city that is clean and environmentally sustainable,” said New York City Councilmember Erik Bottcher. “Sanitation is key to our city’s recovery. I thank Mayor Adams for making these critical investments and policy initiatives that will help make our streets and sidewalks cleaner.”

“New Yorkers deserve clean streets, bike lanes, and sidewalks as we start to recover and deal with our new normal,” said New York Assemblymember Brian Cunningham. “By ensuring that DSNY has the resources they need to do the work they proudly do each day, we can keep our city moving while promoting health, safety, and cleanliness.”

“In our 'concrete jungle where dreams are made,' it is vital that we keep our concrete –– and asphalt –– clean,” said New York State Assemblymember Edward Gibbs. “I am thrilled to see Mayor Adams and Commissioner Tisch are investing in cleaner streets and greater mobility. Our streets are a gift, and we cannot take them for granted.”

“Cleaner streets mean safer streets,” said New York State Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn. “I applaud the city and DSNY on undertaking this major initiative during Earth Week. This unprecedented investment in our streets and planet will help New Yorkers get back on their feet and commute safely.”

“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.”

“New Yorkers in every neighborhood deserve clean streets, sidewalks, and bike lanes. We congratulate Jessica Tisch on her appointment to DSNY commissioner and applaud her commitment from day one to keep bike lanes clean,” said Danny Harris, executive director, Transportation Alternatives. “As New York City’s bike boom continues, keeping bike lanes free of trash and debris is important to keeping riders safe. We look forward to working with the new commissioner to getting litter off the streets in all parts of the city.”

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.