Anderson discusses commercial waste zones and truck traffic reduction
Anderson says commercial waste zones under Local Law 199 will reduce truck traffic and emissions, projecting a 63% reduction in commercial waste truck traffic. He reports that six zones are fully operational and that pricing and service quality have improved.
And the ongoing implementation of commercial waste zones will continue to reduce truck traffic in these neighborhoods.
The commercial waste zone program is being implemented under Local Law 199 of 2019 to reform the commercial waste hauling system
by establishing new safety standards for workers in the industry,
improving service for businesses, increasing diversion rates, reducing vehicle miles traveled, as well as the harmful emissions that come from waste hauling trucks.
When fully implemented, we expect that commercial waste zones will result in a 63% reduction in truck traffic associated with commercial waste collection, more than 18 million miles per year.
And the fiscal year 26 commercial waste zones annual report was released just two weeks ago, covering the expansion from just one initial zone to six fully operational zones as of the end of June of this year.
DSNY has continued to strengthen the oversight framework, including monitoring awardee compliance,
collecting and reviewing required operational data, conducting enforcement activities, supporting worker safety initiatives, and engaging businesses and other stakeholders throughout every phase of implementation.
There's a substantial amount of data and information in that report, including information on the 192,000 outreach activities we've conducted
by sanitation and our partners, 2,581 individual employee trainings conducted by carters.
There's collection tonnage by zone and by stream, enforcement actions, and much, much more.
And I'll note that that data is all available in machine-readable, manipulatable format, not just a PDF.
When Local Law 199 was enacted, some opponents projected that the program would cause massive disruption for businesses, drive up costs.
and reduce the quality of service.
To date, the opposite has been true.
Pricing and service quality have both improved, and the city's streets are both cleaner and safer as a result.
We are proud of our implementation of this historic program, and we look forward to celebrating its full implementation at the end of next year.