Office of Borough President James P. Molinaro
Staten Island, New York
Molinaro hails new City law requiring timely pruning of vegetation that blocks traffic signals and signs
Parks dept. must inspect overgrown locations within 4 days of receiving complaint
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – Borough President James P. Molinaro today applauded a new City law that requires the Parks Department to inspect locations where vegetation blocks traffic signals and signs within four days of receiving a complaint.
“I am pleased that Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council have taken positive action to increase safety on our roads by ensuring timely pruning of vegetation to increase visibility,” Molinaro said. “Overgrown trees and bushes that block traffic signs are a serious safety concern. By enacting a local law requiring timely removal of these obstructions, the City will make our streets safer for motorists and pedestrians alike.”
At City Hall yesterday, Mayor Bloomberg signed into law the City Council bill, Introductory Number 674-A, which “Requires the Department of Parks and Recreation to inspect any location within four days of receiving notice that a traffic control signal or sign is not visible or legible to a motorist due to an obstruction by a tree or other vegetation.This legislation further requires that the Department prune any tree or vegetation that obstructs a traffic signal or sign in a timely manner and maintain a log of notices and the corrective action taken in each case.The Parks Department will implement this legislation just as it fulfills its other obligations with respect to trees as set forth in theAdministrative Code.”
As part of his ongoing initiative to improve traffic safety, Molinaro last year launched an Islandwide campaign with the Parks Department and the Department of Transportation to clear locations where traffic control devices were covered by vegetation.
“For years I have warned about the dangers of tree branches, shrubs, and high weeds obscuring traffic lights and signs,” said Molinaro. “If a motorist can’t see a stop sign or traffic light, the result can be an accident, injury, or even death. This new law will greatly enhance safety on our roadways, and I invite Staten Islanders to contact my Helpline at (718) 816-2000 to report hazardous locations that will be forwarded to the Parks Department for action.
April 2, 2008