New York City is preparing to eliminate approximately 30,000 parking spots across its five boroughs to accommodate new trash containers, according to a draft environmental impact statement from the Department of Sanitation. This initiative, part of the "Empire Bin" program, aims to address the issue of garbage bags cluttering sidewalks and control rat populations.
Sanitation Department officials described the trade-off as "extremely worthwhile," projecting that the 29,842 parking spaces will be converted to make way for the city's 66,000 Empire Bins by 2032. The program, initially launched by former Mayor Eric Adams as a "trash revolution" to "containerize" city trash, continues under the current administration.
"In the wealthiest city in the wealthiest nation in the history of the world, no New Yorker should have their sidewalks covered in garbage," stated Mayor Zohran Mamdani in April, emphasizing the program's goals.
The planned loss of parking spaces represents about 1.52% of the city's 1.96 million parking spaces. However, the impact will vary significantly by borough and neighborhood. Upscale Manhattan neighborhoods are expected to experience the most substantial reductions. The Upper West Side could lose around 10% of its parking spaces, totaling 1,460 spots, while the Upper East Side may see a loss of 1,658 spots, also about 10% of its total.
The Bronx is projected to lose 2.49% of its parking spaces, and Brooklyn will lose 1.65%. Queens and Staten Island are anticipated to have the smallest reductions, at 0.58% and 0.10%, respectively. Manhattan as a whole will see the highest turnover, with an estimated 6.42% of its parking spots being repurposed.
Some residents have expressed frustration with the potential loss of parking. "There's such limited parking... Taking away from parking spaces in order to have more trash is not feasible. It's not realistic," said Clair, a 29-year-old veterinarian from the Upper East Side. "We could find other places to put our trash things."
Another resident, Jasmine, 23, echoed these concerns, stating, "we need the parking.. [and] we're already limited in spaces when it comes to stuff like that, so I feel like we can definitely find like something else to put our trash at."
A spokesperson for the Sanitation Department defended the plan, asserting, "We are moving forward with a plan to finally get the trash off the street, once and for all." The spokesperson added that the program has been popular in West Harlem and that the repurposing of street space will generally be in the "4 to 5% range" in many districts. Trash in West Harlem has been fully containerized since June 2025, with parts of Brooklyn scheduled to receive bins by the fall.
Officials noted that the current plan requires only one-fifth of the parking spots initially estimated for removal in 2023. Large sections of Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island are slated to receive bins by the end of 2027.