The Council’s Data team gathered the following insights on street cleanliness in the City:
- There are more 311 derelict vehicle and illegal dumping calls than OATH violations issued, while there were more OATH violations issued for dirty conditions than 311 calls made.
- While most NYC streets have few dirty sidewalk OATH violations, less than three, there are eight streets that have more than 50 violations per total number of properties on that street.
- The businesses with the most dirty sidewalk violations/complaints are located in Southwest Queens on Rockaway Parkway, with 70 complaints per business, and in Floral Park on Union Turnpike with 50 violations/complaints, also in Queens.
DSNY Litter Baskets
April 2024
24,681
Dirty Sidewalk Violations
April 2023 – March 2024
16,171
OATH Violations
Download the Data
Data Team Home
Learn More About the Hearing
Street Cleanliness
Looking at where NYC residents are making 311 service requests and where OATH violations occur can help tell different stories – where sanitation enforcement is most prevalent, and where complaints are most prevalent. The differences between these two measures be explained in different ways – 311 data may be missing information on important issues if nobody called in about the problem, or 311 data may contain multiple complaints about the same issue (for example, there are likely duplicate complaints of the same abandoned or derelict vehicles since they are not immediately removed). It’s important to remember that 311 calls are not a reflection of where all problems in the city lie, but rather a measure of what people choose to submit service requests for, which is related to how prevalent the problem is, how long lasting the problem is, and if people have the time to engage with city about it.
Between April 2023 – March 2024, there were 97,873 OATH violations for dirty sidewalks, derelict vehicles, and illegal dumping. During the same time frame there were 154,401 complaints to 311 related to dirty conditions, derelict vehicles, and illegal dumping.
There were more OATH violations for dirty conditions than 311 complaints. On the other hand, there were fewer OATH violations than 311 complaints for both derelict vehicles and illegal dumping. It’s possible that derelict vehicles and illegal dumping cause more visible nuisances than dirty conditions, or are more likely to lead to repeat calls over the long term.
August 2022 – August 2023
August 2022 – August 2023
When looking just at total violations, about 190 streets have 80 or more violations. The table below shows the worst 5 streets with the most violations overall. 1457 – 1499 Rosedale Avenue in the Bronx has 465 violations overall and 25-001 – 27-099 Steinway Street in Queens has 424 violations overall.
August 2022 – August 2023
Commercial Waste
April 1, 2023 – March 31, 2024
Littering & Street Cleanliness
There are 24,681 litter baskets distributed across the city, with the highest density in areas with the most foot traffic. Litter baskets are for pedestrian use only (not household or commercial trash), and disposing anything besides light personal garbage can result in a ticket. While integral to street and sidewalk cleanliness, many litter baskets require more attention from DSNY so that refuse does not spill onto the streets and sidewalks.
The median number of 311 complaints per litter basket (overflowing and general complaints) is 8, though about 10% receive greater than 18. The litter baskets with the highest number of 311 complaints are located in Brooklyn, on Boerum Place/Atlantic Ave (30) in Cobble Hill and Myrtle Avenue/Carlton Place (56) in Fort Greene.
August 2022 – August 2023
Additional Concerns
Illegal Dumping
Unlawful dumping of household and business waste is an ongoing challenge to maintaining clean and sanitary sidewalks and streets. It is illegal for any person to deposit household or commercial refuse or liquid wastes in or upon any sidewalk, street, lot, park, public place, or in a public litter basket.
Local Law 135 of 2018 increased the civil and criminal penalties for unlawful dumping, prohibited improper disposal of household and commercial waste on sidewalks and streets, and allowed DSNY to use identifying information to locate the violator.
Still, illegal dumping and corner litter baskets overflowing with household and commercial waste continues to exacerbate the City’s litter challenges.
August 2022 – August 2023
Derelict and Abandoned Vehicles
According to the New York State Code Vehicle & Traffic Statute, motor vehicles are deemed to be abandoned if they are left unattended without license plates for more than six hours on any highway or public place, for more than twenty-four hours on any highway or public place, except those on which parking is legally permitted, for more than forty-eight hours beyond when the parking of the vehicle would be considered illegal, if left on a portion of a highway or public place where parking is legally permitted, or for more than ninety-six hours on private property without the permission of the property owner.
If a vehicle with license plates accrues more than three tickets, the NYPD may tow and impound the car, after which the vehicle’s owner has 90 days to come forward before the property can be put up for auction.
Cars that meet the criteria for a derelict vehicle, meaning that the vehicle lacks license plates, has a missing or damaged hood, grill, front bumper or front fender, or is otherwise seriously burned, damaged, or visibly deteriorated or damaged, are removed by DSNY’s Derelict Vehicles Operation Unit.
August 2022 – August 2023
Legislation
- Requiring the Department of Sanitation to accept commercial solid waste at city-owned or operated marine transfer stations and city-owned or operated rail transfer stations. Int 0055-2024
- Increasing the civil penalty for repeated littering violations. Int 0097-2024
- Requiring the Department of Sanitation to install at least twenty-five public organic waste receptacles in every community district, prioritizing areas of high-pedestrian traffic. Int 0410-2024
- Resolution calling on the New York City Department of Sanitation and the Department of Parks and Recreation to continue to engage and collaborate with local communities to encourage and allow community composting to be carried out on parkland. Res 0171-2024
- Resolution calling on the New York State Legislature to pass the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act, which would establish an extended producer responsibility system for packaging. Res 0172-2024
For feedback, comments, and questions please email DataInfo@council.nyc.gov.
Created by the NYC Council Data Team.