Mayor Eric Adams vows to clean up Times Square area to improve tourism. Here's how he plans to do it.
NEW YORK -- A major crackdown on public safety and quality-of-life issues is underway near Times Square.
Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday announced a new Midtown Community Improvement Coalition to clean up the vital source of tourism dollars.
As CBS New York's Marcia Kramer reports, it's all about dollars and cents because tourism is a big industry in New York City. Last year, it brought in $48 billion in direct spending, but that was only 93% of pre-pandemic levels. The mayor wants a full recovery and then some.
Adams recently toured Time Square and was not pleased
The mayor found the area sadly wanting. He saw the same things captured by CBS New York cameras -- illegal cannabis shops, piles of trash and litter, and people sleeping on the street, building mini encampments and seeking handouts.
"We're dealing with traffic congestion there. We're dealing with uncleanliness that's in the area. We're dealing with the overuse of mopeds and bikes that are everywhere and parked in disarray," Adams said. "We're dealing with those who are under the influence of what appears to be drugs, that are just loitering in the area."
What the coalition plans to do
Along with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, whose job will be to crack down on shoplifters and repeat offenders, the mayor established the new coalition of city agencies to clean up the area from 34th to 45th streets, between Seventh and Ninth avenues, as well as 34th to 37th streets on Eighth Avenue.
The plan is not just about sending more police officers into the area, Kramer reported, adding it is a multi-agency approach that will involve the Department of Sanitation, mental health officials to deal with the homeless, and so much more. The mayor, for example, also said he's concerned about bike lanes and double parking on Eighth Avenue that often lead to just one lane of traffic. He said that's unacceptable.
"That is the heartbeat of our tourist dollar. That is our number one draw. So it must be clean, it must be safe, and we must make sure that whomever is in the area is following appropriate rules, and, like I said, it's a challenge," Adams said.
The move was applauded by Tom Harris of the Times Square Alliance.
"We're hyper-focusing on one area to improve the quality of life for those who visit and those who work in the area," Harris said.
