The Department of Sanitation is bringing back tough-to-remove ‘shame’ stickers that inspectors will slap on the windows of cars not cleared from the path of New York City’s street sweepers.
The City Council gave the go-ahead to start using the stickers again after stripping the department of the ability in 2011 amid complaints that the stickers were too hard to remove. Failure to move for the city’s fleet of sweepers already carries a $65 fine. Sanitation Commissioner Gregory Anderson said the stickers will help keep streets cleaner.
“Intro 92 undoes a grave mistake made by a prior City Council and gives us an additional tool to help us effectively clean the city's streets,” he wrote in a statement.
“Selfish car owners who prioritize their convenience over clean neighborhoods will soon be peeling stickers off their cars, while also paying for a summons,” Anderson continued.
The department has sought greater power to fine drivers who don’t move for street sweepers in recent years, including a so-far unsuccessful bid in Albany to put cameras on street sweepers that would automatically fine any driver caught blocking the path of the trucks.
The City Council also passed a law Tuesday requiring businesses that generate food and yard waste to participate in composting programs.
