Photos credit: Isseu Diouf Campbell
At a community and ethnic media roundtable held on May 4, 2022, at Tribeca’s Sanitation Garage, newly appointed NYC Department of Sanitation Commissioner Jessica Tisch expressed her concerns about the City’s level of cleanliness.
“All New Yorkers have seen and experienced that the city is meaningfully less clean post-pandemic than it was pre-pandemic,” said Commissioner Jessica Tisch. “And I believe that one of the most important things that the city needs to do now is to clean up our streets to give all New Yorkers in every neighborhood and in every community the dignity of a clean-living environment and if not for the residents, then certainly also for tourism.”
With a budget of close to 2 billion dollars, Commissioner Tisch is determined to give New York City a new shine. To achieve her goals, she plans on restoring alternate side parking to pre-pandemic levels starting July 5, 2022. A measure she said is necessary to remove the 1,500 pounds of litter that NYC mechanical brooms collect at every sweeping.
“I understand it is a pain to move the car, but I know that the city needs it,” said Commissioner Tisch. “Everyone needs and wants clean streets, and the restoration of this important street sweeping is going to be fundamental to that.”
The second initiative she discussed was the City’s new curbs program with the containerization of trash on the street. A move that will keep trash hidden and rats away.
“I have experienced myself just the huge problem that we have had with rats that has intensified for sure during the pandemic and containerization of trash, getting those bags off of the curb will both address cleanliness and the rat situation,” said Commissioner Tisch. “I know it’s something that the City has talked about for a long time, like the containerization of trash on the street. Now it’s time to act.”
The City unveiled its first containerized waste bins in Times Square on April 20, 2022 and plans on expanding it to the five boroughs.
Commissioner Tisch will also be working on making the City’s compost collection more effective.
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