Mayor Promises Action As Garbage Trucks Still Hog Parking Spots
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Mayor Bill de Blasio promised to "relieve the immediate pressure" on a residential street in the heart of the East Village that has become a parking lot for Department of Sanitation vehicles.
CBS2's Marcia Kramer asked the mayor about one of Manhattan's trendiest neighborhoods and its residents who are up in arms.
"Do we want garbage trucks parking on residential streets? Of course not," said de Blasio. "What we're trying to do every day is figure out the kind of facilities that will help avoid that in the future."
People who live on East 10th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues say they first noticed new parking signs put up earlier this month, reserving spots for authorized sanitation vehicles only.
"It's about a 12-foot high wall of garbage trucks," Michelle Lang told CBS2's Jessica Layton.
One local restaurant owner claimed his business has gone down by 40 percent since the smelly trucks took over the neighborhood.
"There are some really important new sanitation facilities we've built that have made sure the garbage gets picked up and the trucks are kept in the garage where they belong, but it's the same space problem we're having all over New York City," the mayor said. "In some cases we need more space and new space."
As it is now, trucks are coming through at all hours of the day and taking over much of the block.
"I'll talk to the commissioner and figure out what we can do to relieve the immediate pressure," said de Blasio. "We certainly don't want those residential areas to feel the burden."
City Councilmember Carlina Rivera told CBS2 she has a meeting scheduled with the community board and Sanitation Department for Monday in hopes of finding a better solution.
