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City should double-up trash & graffiti removal on shopping strips in Ridgewood, Maspeth, Glendale and Middle Village

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QNS/File photo

Don’t forget about us!

That is Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley’s message to Mayor Bill be Blasio’s administration and the Department of Sanitation (DSNY) after de Blasio unveiled plans for a new initiative to keep communities clean in Queens and throughout all five boroughs, called CleaNYC.

This initiative, in conjunction with DSNY, aims to increase Graffiti-Free NYC efforts and sidewalk power washing in commercial corridors, as well as expand Sunday and holiday litter basket collection service and highway shoulder and ramp cleanup.

In a letter to DSNY Commissioner Kathryn Garcia, Crowley called for the prioritization of the commercial corridors within Community Board 5 (CB 5) in the CleaNYC program, and to add trash pickup days to alleviate the litter and debris issue still present on the streets.

“The five commercial corridors in my district — Myrtle Avenue in Ridgewood, Myrtle Avenue in Glendale, Fresh Pond Road in Ridgewood, Metropolitan Avenue in Middle Village and Grand Avenue in Maspeth — need greater support in trash pickup and maintaining cleanliness,” Crowley wrote. “CleaNYC will provide resources to neighborhoods that lack in appropriate cleanup measures, and this clearly includes Community Board 5. I request it be made a primary part of this initiative.”

Last year, in an effort to reduce illegal dumping, the number of waste baskets along commercial corridors in the CB 5 area was significantly reduced. However, this exacerbated the problem, as a large number of trash bags were left in just one of a few waste baskets, Crowley noted.

“This pile up of garbage affects the quality of life for the countless number of people, both residents and visitors, traveling these streets,” Crowley said. “Not only is foot traffic heavy on these corridors, they are also transportation hubs. Several bus lines stop along these streets, as well as passengers from the M train. Additional trash pickups are desperately needed.”

To help the litter and debris problem, Crowley has allocated more than $140,000 this year to the Doe Fund to clean Myrtle Avenue, Fresh Pond Road and Grand Avenue.