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YONKERS, N.Y. Years of driving back and forth from Yonkers to Albany, noticing Adopt-A-Highway signs prompted Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano to question: Why arent we doing that? On Wednesday he did, and announced that Yonkers will now be accepting applications from businesses, organizations, and individuals to adopt one-mile stretches throughout the city.
Putting his money where his mouth is, Mayor Spano was the first to adopt a mile - along Otis Park on Warburton Avenue. This mile stretch hasnt changed in a hundred years, and I want to keep it that way, Spano said of the portion he adopted.
The mayor hopes the Adopt-A-Mile program will get more Yonkers businesses and neighbors involved in keeping the city clean. At a time when our government and our taxpayers are faced with doing more with less, were taking a new approach; working with our communities to target areas of the city most in need of revitalization, and bring lasting progress, Spano said.
The program will work in conjunction with the citys Department of Public Works, which will team up with sponsors for each mile adopted. The plan is have people become invested in the area they adopt - whether it's making a financial contribution or actually working hands-on with our department, Department of Public Works Commissioner Thomas Meier said.
A one-mile stretch in Yonkers is currently available for $500. That includes a quarterly cleanup by our department, Meier said. We can either send our crews or they can have volunteers from their company commit to cleaning once a quarter, supervised by us, of course.
The Adopt-A-Mile program is part of the Mayors Green Streets Partnership launched in April, taking aim at neglected properties and litter throughout Yonkers. Each mile adopted will undergo a comprehensive cleanup, including specialized maintenance, litter patrols and beautification. In addition, each sponsor will be saluted with a City of Yonkers Adopt-A-Mile sign containing their name, placed along their stretch of roadway.
For more information or to apply to the program, visit www.yonkersny.gov.
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