Press Release Archives - 257-96

Archives of the Mayor's Press Office

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: June 7, 1996

Release #257-96

Contact: Colleen Roche (212) 788-2958, Lucian Chalfen (212) 788-3916 or Kim Serafin (212) 788-2958

MAYOR ANNOUNCES NEW YORK CITY RATED THE CLEANEST EVER

Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, joined by Senior Advisor Richard Schwartz and Sanitation Commissioner John Doherty, announced that New York City streets during the month of May rated the cleanest ever since the City began tracking cleanliness 22 years ago. According to the May 1996 ratings, over 81% of the 6,200 miles of streets throughout all five boroughs were rated acceptably clean -- an 8% improvement over the 75.4% rating for May, 1995.

The improvement in the City's cleanliness rating is attributable to the tactical use of Work Experience Program (WEP) participants. In exchange for benefits, welfare recipients are given work assignments at various City Agencies. On a weekly basis, the Department of Sanitation uses over 3,700 WEP workers in street sweeping and cleaning functions.

In addition, new cleaning strategies devised by Commissioner John Doherty which involve the WEP workers, address the chronically dirty districts throughout the city. The long term strategy, dubbed Operation S.L.I.C.E. -- streets, lots, intensive cleaning and enforcement -- hinges on the total accountability by the district superintendent for all cleaning in his district.

"This is another example of how the Administration's workfare program is improving the quality of life for all New Yorkers and giving welfare recipients the work experience needed to transition to private employment," said Richard Schwartz. "Our WEP participants are doing an excellent job and their contributions are showing that there is dignity in work."

S.L.I.C.E. was implemented as a pilot program in Manhattan's District 3 - covering the Lower East Side and Chinatown which over the tenures of four Mayors and eight Sanitation Commissioners, was consistently the city's dirtiest district with a twenty year average cleanliness rating of 31.2%.

On a weekly basis, the department uses over 3,700 WEP workers in street sweeping and cleaning functions. The WEP workers, deployed as teams of 15 to 18, are used throughout the city and are tactically deployed in districts and sections of districts where they can be used most effectively.

For example, in the six months since the S.L.I.C.E. program has been in place in Manhattan 3, the district has averaged a 47.9% cleanliness rating -- a 53.5% improvement over their 20 year average. In April the district achieved a 72.4% rating for the month, the highest monthly rating ever for the district.

The program is now operating in all 17 of the city's dirtiest districts. A district whose cleanliness rating is less than 50% is classified as a dirty district.

Other targeted districts have had dramatic improvements in cleanliness as a result of the WEP and S.L.I.C.E. programs. For example, over the last few months, Queens district 1 (Astoria, Long Island City) has seen 7.5% improvement over its 20 year average. Brooklyn District 8 (Crown Heights) has seen a 14.5% improvement and Bronx District 1 (Mott Haven, Port Morris) has shown a 76.5% improvement.