REMARKS
Council Member Oswald Feliz discusses Operation Green NYC bill
0:48:10
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106 sec
Council Member Oswald Feliz expresses pride in the passing of his bill, Operation Green NYC, which aims to make New York City greener by converting paved medians into green infrastructure.
He emphasizes the bill's potential benefits, particularly for low-income communities, including improved air quality, noise reduction, and flood prevention.
- The bill requires paved medians to be converted into green spaces with trees, vegetation, and stormwater infrastructure.
- Feliz highlights the disparity in green spaces between wealthy and low-income areas, particularly in the Bronx.
- He stresses the importance of creating equitable communities and thanks colleagues for their support in passing the bill.
Oswald Feliz
0:48:10
Thank you, majority leader.
0:48:12
Very proud of the many bills that we're passing today, including my bill, Operation Green NYC, a bill which will make New York City greener, and will help resolve challenges that we have.
0:48:22
By requiring that paved 3 billions to be converted into green infrastructure, including trees, vegetation, and other storm water infrastructure.
0:48:31
This unification will easily achieve millions of benefits in the communities that need them the most.
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Including helping clean out the air that we breathe, including improving quality of life by reducing noise pollution, beautifying communities to making them more attractive for those that live there, work there, shop there, improving mental health, and even helping us prepare for environmental threats that we face, including those related to flooding.
0:48:55
Unfortunately, low income communities have had the least amount of access to green spaces, spaces that are important to our mental and physical well-being, You can easily see the tale of Twos Twosidio's idea by just just looking at our medians.
0:49:07
When I drive around wealthy communities, generally, the medians are so improved that no more green would fit in them.
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When I get back to the Bronx or other low income areas, generally, these 3 medians have nothing but asphalt.
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Lack of greenery has been harmful to our communities.
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There's a region in the South Bronx that's called asthma alley.
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That's how much air pollution there is.
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There's so many reasons including the lack of green.
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We need to tackle this issue through every angle possible, including by greenifying our city.
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We need to make sure that we create communities that work for everybody.
0:49:36
I wanna thank Speaker Adams for helping get this built to the finish line.
0:49:39
Also, I wanna thank all colleagues, including the prime quote sponsors, council member Krishnan, Avila's nurse, banks, and wrestler.
0:49:47
I look forward to seeing all the positive results that's going to bring to the city of New York.
0:49:51
We're not only asking for equity.
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We've been asking for equity for a long time.
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We're requiring equity.
0:49:55
Thank you so much.