DSNY to Unveil Franchise Zoning System Plan to Stakeholders

Just days after business groups signed a letter urging New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) to withdraw their plans for a commercial waste zoning system, DSNY has announced that it’s unveiling its franchise zoning system plan to stakeholders during a meeting today.

It’s expected that the plan will detail how many zones and haulers there will be as well as include information on the bidding process.

According to DSNY Commissioner Kathryn Garcia, this system could help improve the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and truck traffic. The system could also help improve the safety of workers.

Crain’s New York has more information:

The de Blasio administration revealed key details of its controversial plan to reshape commercial-waste collection to Crain's in advance of a meeting with stakeholders Thursday.

The outline of the long-gestating plan has always been to carve up the five boroughs into franchised zones served by a small number of private carters, the idea being to shrink trucks' routes and improve safety. The city believes that drivers racing to far-flung customers over 14-hour shifts is an important factor in the high accident rates plaguing the industry as well as in air pollution. The new system would require City Council legislation.

A primary question for the past year and a half, as the Department of Sanitation met with stakeholders on both sides, has been how many zones there would be and how many carters would operate within them. The answer is 20 geo-fenced zones and three to five carters in each, according to Commissioner Kathryn Garcia, who met with Crain's editorial board Tuesday.

Read the full story here.