Astoria, N.Y.—

Addressing concerns raised by community residents, Assemblymember Aravella Simotas, Senator Michael Gianaris, and Councilmember Costa Constantinides re-iterated their calls for clean streets in western Queens, calling upon Mayor Bill de Blasio to takeaction. Last fall, the electeds led a rally in Astoria to draw attention to the recurring issue and propose viable solutions.

“Residents have continued to contact my office regarding the deplorable levels of trash strewn about the streets,” Simotas said. “We have asked the mayor for an additional pickup service for the public waste baskets along Astoria’s busy commercial streets. Inaction on this issue is unacceptable.”

Currently, the area receives only one overnight pick up each day from Monday through Saturday, down from three daily pick ups in past years. The proposed additional trash pick up would occur during the busy daytime hours when the majority of trash is generated, between 11am and 7pm. “My primary goal is to ensure that western Queens receives, at the very least, the same
level of service as the rest of the city,” Simotas said.

“In Astoria we take pride in the beauty of our neighborhood, and for that to be ruined by overflowing trash cans is unacceptable,” Gianaris said. “As more and more New Yorkers come to Astoria we need more garbage trucks to keep our streets clean, not less.”

Councilman Constantinides said, “I've heard from residents time and again about the depth of their frustration over how dirty our streets have become. Overflowing trash baskets end up littering our streets and impacting our quality of life, forcing residents to jump over garbage on their way to work. Business owners are also forced to attend to litter outside their doors rather than to their patrons. Additional pick-ups will make our streets substantially cleaner.”

Simotas concluded, “We all want a clean living environment for our growing community and to help our small businesses thrive. I am proud to call this place home and I am committed to keeping it clean by partnering with the hardworking men and women of the Department of Sanitation, local leaders, and Mayor de Blasio to keep Astoria beautiful.”

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