Aug. 12, 2019 By Shane O’Brien

After a 20-year battle, the Department of Sanitation will carry out street cleaning for the first time on about a dozen neglected Astoria streets.

Street cleaning will now take place on a series of streets for the first time in the western section of Astoria. The streets are in an area roughly bound from the East River across to 21st Street, and from Astoria Park South down to Broadway.

The Old Astoria Neighborhood Association (OANA) has been advocating for street cleaning in the western section of the district for 20 years and the Department of Sanitation agreed to conduct a route study earlier this year and decided to implement a plan.

The Department of Transportation began installing signage across many of these streets Monday, with street cleaning effective immediately after the signs are installed.

Richard Khuzami, President of the OANA and long-term advocate for street cleaning in Astoria, said that street cleaning would increase the quality of life in the area by improving cleanliness. He also said that the installation of street cleaning would bring an end to long-term parking in the area.

According to Khuzami, cars are often left on the side of the road for months on end.

Street cleaning will take place once a week on these designated streets on each side of the road, and will be carried out at different times of the week.

The Department of Sanitation initially proposed cleaning each side of the road twice a week, but this proposal was rejected by OANA due to the inconvenience it would cause for residents. The organization also argued that cleaning each side of the road twice a week was not necessary.

The campaign to implement street cleaning in the area was supported by Council Member Costa Constantinides and Community Board 1.

The following is a list of streets where street cleaning will be going into effect:

25th Road between 18th and 21st Street

26th Road between 18th and 21st Street

27th Avenue between 12th and 21st Streets

12th Street between Broadway and Astoria Park South

26th Avenue between 3rd Street and 2nd Street

30th Rd between Vernon and 21st Street

30th Drive between Vernon and 21st Street

30th Avenue between Vernon and 21st Street

31st Avenue between Vernon and 21st Street

Welling Court