Time Out New York has just released the results of its Time Out Index 2022 that polls the opinions of city-dwellers from all around the world around what their life is like for them, and respondents rank New York City the second dirtiest on the globe.
Of course the survey is not the most scientific, as it is skewed to those cities most frequented by tourists and Time Out New York readers. However, as "the world's capital city," New York City's ranking as one of the top trash towns-- even among visitors-- is significant.
According to the poll of 27,000 city residents from around the world, Rome was considered the dirtiest city in the world with NYC in second then Glasgow, Scotland.
Stockholm, Sweden was voted the cleanest.
To be fair, nearly every major urban center in the U.S. suffered cuts to its sanitation budget during COVID-19 Pandemic 2020. But when you consider New York City's population and density, rat problem, lack of alleys and status as a premier tourist destination, a speedy and thorough sanitation recovery plan should be top priority.
NYC Mayor Eric Adams, with New York City Department of Sanitation Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch, announced in April 2022 the "Clean Curbs" pilot program that went into effect beginning last week.
The program will pay for new street sweepers that can fit through bike lanes and create containerized waste bins that will keep all the trash bags at one site in the city. The first bins have already been put in Times Square on 41st street and 7th avenue with another on 43rd street and 8th avenue.
“As we move forward with expanding containerization, we must prioritize pilots in environmental justice communities and other areas of our city where litter and trash are impacting quality of life, so that all New Yorkers can have the clean streets that we deserve," said New York City Council member Sandy Nurse of Brooklyn, who is also chair of the Committee on Sanitation and Solid Waste Management.
