Westchester Mayor Lashes Out At NYC Over Illegal Dumping On Highway

YONKERS, NY — Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano publicly called out New York City officials on Tuesday over "mounds of debris" dumped along the Major Deegan Expressway at the Yonkers-Bronx border.

Spano said his office has received a number of complaints from neighbors about illegal dumping on both sides of the highway. The mayor said the trash piles present a quality of life issue and a poor welcome for drivers who pass through this "gateway to the Hudson Valley." It also encourages rodent infestations at nearby Van Cortlandt Park.

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"According to the New York State Thruway Authority, the stretch of road where the illegal dumping occurs is maintained by the City of New York," Spano said. "Therefore, I am calling on my fellow colleagues in government to heed the pleas of our local residents to clean up the Deegan. Let’s work together so, as New Yorkers, we can remain proud of our community. There is a simple fix: clean-up and enforce."

Update: Within hours of the Yonkers Mayor releasing his original statement, he posted a follow-up message proclaiming, "Job well done!" He even included pictures of the cleaned up roadway, but, not afraid to push his luck, he made clear he has a couple of other bones to pick.

"Great work by Mayor Eric Adams and the City of New York for the swift action in cleaning up both north and southbound lanes of I-87 Major Deegan Expressway at the Yonkers-Bronx border," Spano wrote Wednesday morning. "Now let's work to monitor the trucks illegally parking there and enforce stricter dumping fines to create better quality of life for area residents.