"Super Broken": Residents Confront City Agencies at Sandy Nurse's Sanitation and Transportation Town Hall

Attendees raised concerns about dumping, traffic safety, delayed street repairs and a complaint system many said is failing their neighborhoods.

Council Member Sandy Nurse at the March 31, 2026 Sanitation & Transportation Town Hall. Photo: Deric Johnson / The East New York Times

Residents pressed city sanitation and transportation officials over illegal dumping, chronic trash conditions and delayed infrastructure fixes at a Sanitation & Transportation Town Hall hosted by Council Member Sandy Nurse on March 31, 2026, at 1474 Gates Avenue in Brooklyn. The event, held with RiseBoro Community Partnership, brought together representatives from the Department of Sanitation and the Department of Transportation.

The Broadway Corridor

The most significant long-term issue raised during the meeting was the future of the Broadway corridor, where officials said a long-discussed rebuild remains far from fully funded. DOT Brooklyn Deputy Borough Commissioner Leroy Branch told attendees that Broadway cannot simply be resurfaced because it is made of concrete and must be rebuilt as a capital project. He said the work would have to be phased. The council office added that current money secured for the corridor is only a start, and that millions more are needed even to scope and plan the project.

Block-by-Block Complaints

Residents also used the meeting to air block-by-block complaints that affect daily life across District 37 and nearby areas, including illegal dumping, litter-filled tree pits, uneven alternate-side parking enforcement, truck traffic, dark streets and garbage around transit hubs and commercial strips. Several speakers pointed to recurring trouble spots near Broadway Junction, Euclid Avenue, Knickerbocker Avenue and Myrtle-Wyckoff.

Sanitation officials said they are already targeting several chronic dumping hotspots and pointed to cleanup work supported by district funding. The council office said it has funded supplemental cleaning, including a dedicated DSNY truck and corridor-specific cleanup efforts in problem areas such as Fulton Street and Myrtle-Wyckoff.

"Super Broken"

A recurring theme of the night was frustration with the city's response system. One attendee said the process itself felt "super broken" and asked who was responsible for fixing it. The council office acknowledged that 311 is imperfect and said responsibility for improving the system lies with both the City Council and city agencies.

Street safety frustrations surfaced repeatedly as well. The council office said it had submitted "dozens and dozens" of speed bump requests without receiving approvals. Branch responded that DOT can install speed humps only where studies show most vehicles on a block are traveling at least 30 miles per hour.

Myrtle-Wyckoff Timeline

Attendees also asked about the timeline for long-promised changes at Myrtle-Wyckoff. DOT did not provide a firm construction date, saying the project likely would not move in fiscal 2026, though fiscal 2027 was presented as possible.

Before the session ended, DSNY and DOT agreed to review a series of site-specific complaints, including requests for more litter baskets, concerns about school trash handling, and truck-turn conflicts. For residents, the meeting offered direct access to agency officials — and underscored how many longstanding complaints remain unresolved.