ICYMI: D.A. Bragg, Manhattan Borough President Levine & Councilmember Powers Call On City Council To Expedite The Removal Of Dangerous Sidewalk Sheds

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Jr., Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine and City Councilmember Keith Powers wrote an op-ed in the New York Daily News calling on the New York City Council to pass legislation that will make it easier to get sidewalk sheds down in a timely fashion, while simultaneously making sure that the sheds that are up, are safer and less disruptive.

The authors write that sidewalk sheds are, "an example of a policy failure by our city leading to genuine quality-of-life issues and illegal activity growing under their awnings. There are numerous examples, from robberies to shootings, where the presence of sheds hindered law enforcement investigations because it often becomes much harder to get unobstructed footage of the offense from surrounding video cameras. Our government can and must do better."

They call on council members to "help get our city back on track with sheds" by passing legislation introduced by the City Council in partnership with the Manhattan borough president's office that will "change the design and appearance of sheds; adjust regulations on how often they are potentially needed; increase height and lighting standards to ensure adequate visibility beneath them; increase penalties for leaving them up too long; and reform the outdated laws that govern building façade repair."

Reminding New Yorkers that "we all know the feeling when a sidewalk shed that's been up for years finally comes down," but that "we don't have to take the status quo for granted." The authors conclude that, "we can and must act now to shed the sheds and bring the light back to our streets."

Read the full op-ed here.

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