We’re launching a Community Cleanup Plan to address the sanitation issues affecting residents of District 33. The plan was put together with input from the community through a survey. We’re excited to share what we learned and our plans to address the concerns surfaced through the survey.

D33 Survey: What We Learned

The survey asked respondents to highlight their top sanitation concern. Of the 296 responses to the survey, 94 (29.2%) highlighted dirty streets and sidewalks as their top concern, 54 (16.8%) focused on rats, followed by reports of overflowing litter baskets and concern over litter in shared and public spaces (49 and 37 respondents respectively). 

Survey responses and comments also spoke to a frustration with absent litter baskets where they were needed, garbage bags blocking and dirtying pedestrian corridors, dog poop on sidewalks and illegal dumping. We also heard requests for more recycling opportunities in public spaces and the expansion of the city composting initiative. 

Respondents were asked to identify where in the district they most noticed their concern and we mapped problem areas - see Appendix.

In addition to the survey data, we analyzed 311 data and Department of Sanitation report cards on street cleanliness to inform our collective recommendations. 

Clean Up Plan: District 33

We understand that sanitation problems have a direct impact on quality of life in District 33. The responses to our survey and a review of thousands of in-district 311 complaints in 2021 demonstrated the need for a renewed focus on improving the cleanliness of our streets & sidewalks and public spaces, including our neighborhood parks.

After reviewing our findings with the Department of Sanitation (DSNY) we are now implementing a District 33 Clean Up Plan:

1) Address Rat Conditions through Composting for All:

One of the most important actions we can take to eliminate rats’ food source is composting as ⅓ of garbage is food waste. We are launching an organizing campaign to enroll 1,000 neighbors in curbside composting this year, where the City will bring compost bins to your building and pick it up every week! Composting is also vital to achieving our urgent climate goals. Sign up if you’re interested in learning more about the program.

The Health Department runs Rat Academy trainings to educate neighbors about how to combat rats. Sign up.

2) Purchase New Litter Baskets:

Our office is funding dozens of rat resistant litter baskets at key locations throughout the district based on survey feedback to inform their placement. We are also actively recruiting local businesses to enroll them in the ‘Adopt-a-Basket’ program to ensure more frequent emptying in our busiest business corridors.

3) Organize Community Clean Ups:

We are hosting recurring neighborhood clean ups in partnership with community groups throughout the spring and summer to improve street cleanliness conditions. There are ample opportunities to volunteer and we hope you will join us! Sign up for a community clean up in your neighborhood!

4) Advocate for restoration of Department of Sanitation’s Funding and Services:

Proposed cuts to the DSNY budget are totally unacceptable. Along with my colleagues in the Council, I am pushing for full restoration of DSNY’s budget to pre-pandemic levels to ensure our sanitation workers have the resources to keep our communities clean. While we are fortunate to have curbside composting in almost all of our district, we are pushing back against the Mayor’s proposed cuts in order to expand composting to more communities citywide.

5) Ensure Alternate Side Parking Compliance:

The reduction of Alternate Side Parking (ASP) to one day per week has made it critically important that car owners move their vehicles on ASP days to facilitate street cleaning. We are working with neighborhood civic associations to encourage ASP compliance and are coordinating more robust enforcement as needed.

6) Pursue Containerization Program:

We want to end the piles of garbage strewn across our sidewalks on collection days by implementing containerization programs. Containerization would allow for garbage to be put in contained bins on the street to be easily emptied by the Sanitation Department.

7) Combat Illegal Disposal of Waste:

The survey highlighted several areas throughout the district where large, bulky items are improperly dumped. We are placing several cameras in these hot-spot areas to ward people off.

8) Organize Support for New Business Improvement Districts:

Business Improvement Districts provide supplemental street cleaning in commercial areas. While we are fortunate to have six BIDs in our district, there are a number of communities like Court Street, Smith Street, the Northside, and Greenpoint that would benefit from additional daily cleaning on our commercial corridors. We will work with local businesses and property owners to make it happen.