On September 12, 2023, the Committee on Sanitation and Solid Waste Management, chaired by Council Member Sandy Nurse, held an oversight hearing on DSNY’s Initiatives to Address Street Cleanliness. The committee will also hear several bills on street cleanliness. These bills seek to address concerns pertaining to the disposal of yellow and brown grease, dumping enforcement, the removal of abandoned or derelict vehicles, the commercial citywide routing system, increasing civil penalties for repeated littering violations, and DSNY’s resiliency and emergency planning.
The Council’s Data team gathered the following insights on street cleanliness in the City:
- 311 derelict vehicle and illegal dumping calls have increased over time but have had fewer OATH violations issued. There were 18 derelict vehicle calls and 39 illegal dumping calls for each violation made. While there was only 1 dirty conditions call for every 4 violations
- 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
September 2023
24,681
Areas with Most Foot Traffic
Dirty Sidewalk Violations
August 2022 – August 2023
19,000 Streets
At least 1 Violation
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Learn More About the Hearing
Street Cleanliness
311 data may be missing potential complaints due to an absence of 311 calls, 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.
August 2022 – August 2023
An indicator of street cleanliness is the number of OATH violations a residence or business receives. A building or business owner can receive an Oath Violation for many reasons; litter, improper disposal of waste/recycling, food-related conditions, and more.
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
September 1, 2022 – August 30, 2023
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.