Res. No. 61 Title Resolution calling upon the appropriate committee of the Council of the City of New York to hold hearings on the City's neglect of the repair, maintenance, cleanliness, and safety of the City's 93 stepstreets, and further, on the establishment of an inter-agency task force on stepstreets. Body By Council Members Foster, Addabbo Jr., Barron, Jackson, Perkins, Recchia Jr., Rivera, Sanders Jr., Serrano and Vann; also Council Members Seabrook and Clarke Whereas, The Department of Transportation has identified 93 stepstreets in the five boroughs and in recent years these streets have been neglected by City agencies in terms of repair, maintenance, and safety; and Whereas, The Department of Transportation has primary responsibility for maintaining stepstreets which are of vital importance to the City in that they provide major access for the citizens of New York City, and are vital links to and from subway and bus lines, commercial and residential areas; and Whereas, Stepstreets are historic, artistic, and engineering treasures of the City and should be maintained if for no other reason than to preserve this part of the City's history; and Whereas, The steps are mapped as streets and City agencies such as Environmental Protection, Police, Transportation, and Parks and Recreation have the same obligation to provide these streets with daily attention as they do to other streets; and Whereas, The adjacent sides of some stepstreets are mapped as sidewalks, and the adjacent owners are responsible for their maintenance, repair, and cleanliness, but little diligence has been shown by the many agencies responsible for enforcement of the City's law and regulations, consequently many property owners neglect these sidewalks; and Whereas, Although there are no records that track the criminal conduct and illegal acts and behavior which take place on stepstreets, complaints to local officials and community boards are proliferating concerning problems like drug trafficking, littering and dumping; and Whereas, The Board of Education acknowledges that problems with safety and maintenance such as the failure to clear these streets of snow and ice has led them to be excluded from the walking routes used by the Board of Education to calculate how far a student lives from a school and whether the student is eligible for public transportation or should walk; and Whereas, The Council has an oversight responsibility to determine if the City agencies such as Environmental Protection, Transportation, Police, Parks and Recreation are properly exercising their responsibility for law enforcement, repair, maintenance and cleanliness of stepstreets; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the appropriate committee of the Council of the City of New York hold hearings on the City's neglect of the repair, maintenance, cleanliness, and safety of the City's 93 stepstreets, and further, on the establishment of an inter-agency task force on stepstreets.