Brooklyn, NY -Criticized by some for his lack of formal governmental experience, a city council candidate is turning the tables on his detractors by challenging a policy enacted over sixty years ago to potentially solve several problems that have long plagued Brooklyn residents.
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A proposal introduced Tuessday by Yoni Hikind pinpointed alternate side of the street parking as a major source of congestion and parking woes in the city’s 44th District.
Originally introduced by the Department of Sanitation in the 1950s to give large mechanized street sweepers an opportunity to clean city roadways, the policy forces drivers to relocate their parked vehicles at certain times on designated days and creates significant hardships in an area where parking is already difficult to find.
The solution according to Hikind?
Replacing the Department of Sanitation’s large sweeper trucks with smaller, mobile vacuum units that are capable of cleaning the streets and could eliminate the need for alternate side of the street parking.
“This is an idea that almost kills four birds with one stone,” Hikind told VIN News. “Using state of the art efficient street vacuumers doesn’t require drivers to move their cars, potentially eliminates traffic congestion, restores parking availability during peak hours and reduces unfair penalties on citizens.”
Hikind said that the new generation of vacuums are already in use in Baltimore, Atlantic City, Brussels, Paris and Toronto where they are doing a better job of cleaning streets than their decades-old predecessors.
According to Madvac, a manufacturer of compact sweepers and vacuums, the machines are also in use in several other locations including Bridgeport, Connecticut, Woodbridge Township, New Jersey, Austin, Texas and Keane, New Hampshire.
“I would love to be able to have a pilot program in our area,” said Hikind. “This could be a game changer.”
Hikind said that he has gotten positive feedback from a letter he sent to Department of Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg describing the district’s continued growth and his proposed Cleaner Streets plan.
The Department of Sanitation did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the matter.
Hikind said his plan came about through conversations with area residents.
“Since day one I have described my candidacy as a job interview and I have been walking the streets asking people what they would want me to do to improve their lives,” said Hikind. “The most common things I hear about are daily life issues, like traffic.”
Researching how other cities have coped with congestion problems, Hikind came across street vacuums that promote cleanliness without exacerbating traffic conditions. The idea is just one of many he hopes to implement that challenges the status quo in order to better the lives of district residents.
“It’s not only elected officials who can come up with good ideas,” said Hikind.
“Citizens can be extremely helpful in solving the problems we face in our day to day lives. Government can get stale at times and when it comes to problem solving sometimes you need to think out of the box. We owe it to our community to continue pushing the envelope and I have every reason to believe that this can make a difference in people’s lives.”
Alternate side of the street is a major disincentive to car ownership. If it was not necessry to move a car twice a week imagine how many more cars there would be parked in a place like Boro Park-cars that just sit endlessly taking up sparse parking spaces.
It is true that moving your car may be hard for you and if you go someplace and need to park at a time there is alt parking your stuck. However there are many benefits for having to move your car once or twice a week I have lived in different parts of Boro Park and the alternate days rule is very helpful. First, there are businesses such as mechanics, car services, rent a car, that hog parking spaces alt days forces them to move. Two. When I have to make doctor appointments I try to schedule it around the time the alt time finishes so I can find parking.Three, I have an elderly neighbor who does her errands on alternate side days Four many people schedule certain deliveries for alt days.
While talking about parking I would suggest to Mr Hikind, if you really want to help parking get the yeshiva busses off the streets at night and on weekends. Its great to have wedding halls, but guests need a place to park. Every new hall must make spaces for 200 cars. Plant a tree in front of illegal driveways .
click bait article. this will not end alternate side. it is a cash cow for this currupt city.
if they do implement these new sweepers, it wil be the same shpeel.
the biggest sources of traffic, are garbage trucks and school buses and of course all the traffic “calming” initiative’s.
We all saw what happened when we elected a president with no former experience. Let’s not make that mistake again
The previou post propsed planting a tree in front of illegal driveways. I agree. NYC surely can send an inspector to walk all streets and follow through.
3 possible ideas that could help a bit
1. garbage pickup to coordinate with alternate side so the streets stay open, garbage can be picked up & streets cleaned and cars moved ?
2.there are a number of businesses that have way OUTGROWN their location like freunds, worldwide,& sterns. Ace rental…they are doing well and make great products but they belong on 1st avenue…
3.people who own driveways should please park in front of them and not tie up addl spots
i’m sure you have other ideas please post
We all saw what happened when we elected a president with no former experience. Let’s not make that mistake again
“Criticized by some for his lack of formal governmental experience,” and possibly because his last name is Hikind.
Great idea only now the city will have to dream up a way to fill in the income of the missing ticket money!!
#18 where do you live i am on the road all day in flatbush & bp BLOCKED driveways? assuming you dont mean a delivery van dropping a box – driveways are not blocked often ( with the exception of wedding hall on the block
I don’t see how the new sweeper can go under a car and clean properly.
I think alternate parking is good.
I am very bothered by garbage pickup on Shabbos in Boro Park, between New Utrecht Ave and 16 Ave. Any time I go for a walk or to shul on Shabbos, I am either surrounded by garbage or by bad smelling cans. When it started I contacted several offices, to no avail. One of them said, – your community wanted it. Well I didn’t want it. If anyone can change this, I would vote for them.