By Gina Martinez
City Councilman Peter Koo (D-Flushing) continued his mission to clean up downtown Flushing last Friday, announcing he will be adding two new sanitation workers in the bustling northeast Queens community.
Koo, in collaboration with the Flushing Business Improvement District, said the new workers will join a BID crew of nine other sanitation workers and will provide additional sanitation services for the Downtown Flushing Transit Hub Business Improvement District.
This year Koo secured $180,000 through City Council discretionary funding for staffing and other sanitation services seven days a week in the downtown area. According to Koo, since 2009 he has obtained more than $800,000 in sanitation funding for downtown Flushing, with $571,000 provided to the Flushing BID for supplemental sanitation services.
Dian Yu, executive director of the Flushing BID, said she was thankful for Koo’s dedication to keeping the streets of downtown Flushing clean.
“This initiative is a tough job requiring constant attention and wouldn’t be possible without the councilman’s support,” she said.
Koo said a cleaner Flushing takes a combination of manpower and a change in public behavior.
“From our sanitation workers to our residents, our businesses and visitors, the responsibility lies with all of us,” he said. “I was proud to fund these extra sanitation workers for the Flushing BID, and I look forward to continuing our work to make downtown Flushing a cleaner environment for everyone who lives, works and visits here.”
The Downtown Flushing Transit Hub Business Improvement District currently covers 39th Avenue from Main Street to College Point Boulevard, Roosevelt Avenue from Prince Street to Union Street, 40th Road from Prince Street to Main Street, Main Street from Northern Boulevard to Sanford Avenue, and Kissena Boulevard from 40th Road to Sanford Avenue.
Koo said work will include emptying trash bins, sidewalk washing, removing cigarette butts, graffiti removal, and other sanitation services, providing an additional 40 extra hours of cleaning services every week
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