NYLCV is celebrating one major win in New York City and doubling down on the push for another. Last week saw a lot of movement at City Hall on issues that shape New Yorkers’ quality of life, from a bill that’ll make for cleaner streets (and healthier people) to a rally for safer intersections.
City Council Passes Waste Containerization Bill
On November 12, the New York City Council passed Intro 1123-B, an NYLCV Scorecard Bill that will help create a modern, citywide residential waste containerization system. Sponsored by Council Member Crystal Hudson, the legislation establishes the framework for how the Department of Sanitation (DSNY) can operate on-street waste container programs.
Under the bill, DSNY is authorized to impose an annual fee of no more than $55 per unit on buildings with 10 or more units that are provided on-street containers for trash, recycling, or organics. Importantly, the fee is waived for Mitchell-Lama buildings, HDFCs, 100% affordable-housing buildings, and buildings where at least half of units are rent regulated.
[Read our blog from August of this year, “Policy Means People: Let’s Containerize Our Waste”]
Containerization isn’t just about cleaner streets. It’ll contribute to waste reduction and improve public health by reducing the plastic-bag piles that line our sidewalks, cutting down on litter, and curbing rat populations.
NYLCV advocated for Intro 1123-B because it builds on the success of pilot programs in Manhattan Community District 9 and Brooklyn Community District 2. These neighborhoods have already shown that containerization works. Now we’re one step closer to delivering these benefits citywide.
We’re grateful to Council Member Hudson and the wide coalition of supporters who helped get this bill across the finish line. Cleaner, safer streets are within reach — and this legislation helps pave the way.
NYLCV Rallies to Pass Universal Daylighting Before Year’s End
Even as we celebrate cleaner streets, we’re pushing hard to make them safer.
Last week, NYLCV joined our partners from Transportation Alternatives, Families for Safe Streets, and Open Plans, and dozens of other advocates on the steps of City Hall to rally in favor of Intro 1138, a bill that would substantially increase daylighting at intersections throughout the city (at least 1,000 intersections per year). With the Council term ending in December, there are only a handful of meetings left to bring this life-saving bill to a vote.
“Daylighting our streets is a smart policy solution to ensure our streets are safe for every New Yorker – whether walking, riding, or driving,” said Alia Soomro, NYLCV Deputy Director for NYC Policy. “Street safety and achieving our climate and environmental goals must go hand in hand, and the time to act on this common-sense measure is now.”
More than 200 organizations across New York City are calling for universal daylighting, and Majority Leader Amanda Farias recently signed on as a co-sponsor, reflecting growing momentum for this common-sense measure.
Daylighting improves sight-lines for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians – often by installing climate-friendly amenities such as planters, bike racks, green infrastructure, and even waste containers – and it’s one of the simplest, most effective tools we have to prevent crashes and protect lives.
NYLCV strongly supports Intro 1138 and we’re urging the Council to bring it to a vote and pass it before the end of the session.
Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that under the bill, DSNY is authorized to impose an annual fee of no more than $55 per container on buildings with 10 or more units that are provided on-street containers for trash, recycling, or organics. It’s $55 per unit.