Council Member Holden Introduces Intro 857-A on Towing Abandoned Vehicles

Thank you, uh Madam Chairs.

Uh thank you, Chair Menem and Chair Um Bro Powers for the opportunity to speak on my bill.

Intro 8578.

The intent of H uh Intro 857A is simple.

It requires the Department of Sanitation to tow vehicles that are incumbents on our city streets within 72 hours of notification by NYPD.

This legislation is not about tidying up our curbs, it's about reclaiming public space, ensuring safety, and restoring fairness to how our streets are used.

Every day, abandoned inoperable and improperly parked vehicles clog our neighborhoods.

They block bike lanes, bus stops, fire hydrants, and curb space desperately needed for everything from commercial deliveries to parking for residents.

These abandoned vehicles turn our streets into graveyards for zombie cars and are a source of constant frustration for all of our constituents.

This legislation sets a clear, reasonable time frame for action.

It empowers the Department of Sanitation to act swiftly but fairly.

Clean, safe, and accessible streets are not a luxury.

They're a big basic necessity in a city of over eight million people.

Let's not allow the bad actors who abandon vehicles to hold entire blocks hostages.

I urge my colleagues to support this common sense legislation and put our public space back to public use.

Thank you.

Great, thank you so much.

I also want to mention we've been joined by Council Member Krishnan, Majority Leader Farias, Councilmember Rivera.