To whichever city agency, department, or elected representative is responsible for these projects:

How long is Boro Park expected to live inside a construction zone? For years now, we’ve watched NYC’s “green infrastructure” projects spread across our neighborhood. I’ve seen large stretches of streets dug up and become obstacle courses. 

But what frustrates me most isn’t even the construction itself. It’s the fact that the City routinely dumps piles of materials onto our streets and sidewalks weeks or even months before any actual work begins.

Wooden beams, barriers, fencing, pipes, and other equipment sit there day after day, exposed to weather, traffic, and people walking the streets. They take up precious parking spots in a neighborhood where parking is already nearly impossible. They clutter sidewalks and create hazards for anyone trying to walk through the area.

Here’s what I don’t understand. If a private contractor brought construction materials to a job site weeks, or even one day before work began, the City would be handing out fines and posting stop orders. Contractors are expected to bring materials when they’re needed, not use public streets as a storage yard. Yet when the City does it, apparently different rules apply.

I personally know two people who were seriously injured because of these materials. One tripped over one of the orange barriers left near a work site and suffered a severe hand injury that left him in a cast. Another resident struck his head on wooden beams installed around trees many months before green infrastructure construction was scheduled to begin.

How many people need to get hurt before someone decides this isn’t acceptable?

If work is scheduled to begin, bring the materials when the work begins. Don’t leave them sitting in our neighborhood for weeks and months creating hazards and taking away parking for no reason.

The City keeps telling us these projects are improving our streets. What many residents see instead are unnecessary obstacles, endless disruptions, and dangerous conditions.

It’s time for New York City to stop treating the streets of Boro Park like a storage yard and start taking responsibility for the hazards it is creating.

Malkie F.