On February 6th the Yonkers Downtown/Waterfront Business Improvement District (YDWBID), in conjunction with The City of Yonkers, unveiled a new, upgraded litter vacuum which is bolstering the district’s sanitation and street cleanliness efforts. The new piece of machinery not only replaces but exponentially upgrades a 2018 litter vacuum that was no longer functional.
Supplementing the overnight cleaning carried out by the City of Yonkers, this new litter vacuum is utilized by the YDWBID Rangers almost every day of the week and multiple times per day. The diesel vehicle has a cab to guard against the cold weather and windy conditions, allowing for more consistent and frequent usage throughout the Downtown. Purchased from ExproLink, the litter vacuum’s mechanical suction arm not only provides great leverage to clean between parked cars but also gives the ability to train all rangers as opposed to the only ones strong enough to manually move the suction arm. Currently, three YDWBID Rangers are utilizing this machinery, with additional Rangers in the process of being trained.
“One of our main objectives as a Business Improvement District is to maintain the cleanliness in our community, and this new litter vacuum helps to achieve this goal,” said Sara Brody, Executive Director, Yonkers Downtown/Waterfront Business Improvement District. “Since its arrival on January 11th, the litter vacuum has already made a noticeable impact on the district. We could not be more thankful to the City of Yonkers for partnering with us to invest in this much-needed piece of equipment so that we can continue to keep the Yonkers Downtown area inviting for people to live, visit and patronize all our great businesses.”
“We are happy to partner with the YDWBID on this initiative to help make the Downtown area even more welcoming,” said Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano. “Yonkers is a beautiful city, and it’s important to maintain a clean, healthy environment that attracts businesses and residents alike to live, work and play here.”
Keeping Yonkers Downtown clean is an endless task that the BID Rangers tackle on a daily basis. Litter vacuums allow the BID Rangers to work faster and more efficiently due to the vacuum’s ability to quickly process and compact debris. This vacuum is just one of the many machines that the YDWBID has on hand to help keep the district beautiful and clean.
This investment was made possible through the City’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), which contributed $22,000. The remaining $27,000 was paid for by the Yonkers Downtown/Waterfront BID.
For more information on happenings in Yonkers, visit www.YonkersDowntown.com.
