Overgrown weeds in Queens neighborhoods prompt calls for clean-up

QUEENS, N.Y. (PIX11) — Greenery and vegetation may be viewed as rustic in the park but some Queens neighbors say too many medians along city streets are overgrown with weeds.

Suzanne Peritz lives and travels around northern and eastern Queens.

“The weeds are too high. It’s an eyesore. I have to keep my place weed-free. I get fined if I don’t,” she said.

Some of her fellow residents have cleaned and trimmed some areas.

The neighbors from several civic organizations and community boards are organizing to get the city’s attention. They worry overgrown areas could be hazards for pedestrians and drivers across the borough.

Katherine says they’ve taken pictures and made reports only to see the 311 cases closed.

In Queens Village along Braddock Avenue on Tuesday, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards called for a clean-up and an efficient way to track problem areas and those that have been addressed.

“Clean more regularly. Sanitation, parks, and DOT don’t have one centralized system. We want one agency,” said Richards.

His office mapped more than 200 locations in the past few months.

The local council member is expected to introduce some legislation.

Different agencies have maintenance crews. Jurisdiction issues could also be involved.

There are more than 6,000 miles of roads in New York City.

A spokesperson from City Hall issued a statement about high-quality, clean public spaces being a necessity, not a luxury:

“Every day, the Department of Sanitation works to keep our streets clean and create a more livable city for all New Yorkers. Thanks to our strong fiscal management, we were able to close a $7.1 billion budget gap in the face of rapidly escalating asylum seeker costs, the need to fund critical long-term education programs previously supported with expiring stimulus dollars, and the costs of fair labor deals with the city workforce.”

The administration has acknowledged “difficult decisions” in the efforts to find cost savings over the budget cycle.

The Department of Sanitation received resources to help with median cleaning. The spokesperson says the department is currently working to clear a backlog and remove overgrowth and litter from medians.

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