Members of the community request city funding for curbside street cleaning on Center Blvd. in Long Island City, Queens.

Why Street Cleaning is Needed

Center Blvd is the main traffic corridor along the Long Island City/Hunters Point waterfront, an area that has undergone extreme growth in recent years. This formerly industrial waterfront is now a bustling destination with 40 acres of public parks; thousands of new housing units; multiple public schools; a public library; two ferry landings; restaurants, cafes and retail shops. 

Sanitation services have not kept up with the area’s rapid growth, and this has contributed to a persistent rat infestation along the waterfront, which creates dangerous and unsanitary conditions for residents and visitors alike. According to a report by The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, clean surroundings can decrease rat infestations by up to 40% (American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 2018).

The OneLIC plan proposes a new pedestrian path along the waterfront, connecting the communities north and south of the 59th Street Bridge. We are 100% in favor of expanded pedestrian access to the Hunters Point waterfront, but street cleaning on Center Blvd. must be part of the mix.

Our Proposed Solution

A simple way to mitigate the rat issue and increase overall cleanliness would be to include Center Blvd. in the Department of Sanitation’s existing street cleaning program. Center Blvd. is currently ineligible for street cleaning because no budget was ever allocated for this service.

Funding basic street cleaning on Center Blvd. is long overdue and essential as we welcome more visitors and new residents to this beautiful waterfront community.

Now is the Time to Act

We urge all New Yorkers who enjoy the LIC/Hunters Point waterfront to support this petition and compel our local government to take expeditions action to fund street cleaning on Center Blvd. 

Please sign the petition today. 

What else can you do?

Please share the petition with your neighbors & on social media. Download a printable PDF flyer herehttps://mcusercontent.com/18ebe4a1b484b4976d52e0cda/files/8a2a4915-b7fe-c0fb-1ee1-d0f9f2191d09/CleanCenterBlvd_Petition_Flyer3.pdf  to post in your community

Always report all sanitation conditions to 311. All complaints are recorded and budget decisions are made based on the number of complaints