Following Death Of Bicyclist, Treyger Plans Overhaul Of City’s Tree Removal Program
City Councilman Mark Treyger plans to introduce a package of bills requiring more stringent safety measures and better oversight for contractors removing Sandy-damaged trees after a bicycle delivery man was crushed to death by a falling tree in Red Hook.
“You can’t cheap your way out when you’re dealing with protecting the public and trees that are in immanent danger of falling down,” said Treyger. “The Parks Department hired a contractor who did not take common sense measures to protect the site. And as a result, an innocent life was taken.”
The Daily News reports deliveryman Jing Liu was riding his bicycle through Red Hook last month when a 4,000-pound tree, which workers were in the process of cutting down, crashed onto the street, crushing Liu. He was taken to Metropolitan Hospital and died two days later from his injuries.
According to the Daily News, the construction firm hired to remove the tree did not specialize in tree removal. The contractor also violated the terms of its Parks Department contract by using a two-man crew, instead of four, and failed to adequately tape off the site, the paper reports.
Treyger plans to introduce four bills to prevent contractors from cutting corners and establish measures to hold them accountable when lapses in safety cause a death or injury. The bills are currently being drafted, Treyger said.
The first law would require contractors removing trees to be certified by the International Society of Arboriculture. Treyger pointed out that the Central Park Conservancy already requires certification and two years experience in tree maintenance to remove and prune trees in Central Park.
“Why are there two sets of standards in New York City when dealing with trees? The same set of standards and safety rules that are in place in Central Park should be the norm across the entire city,” said Treyger.
The councilman also said it was “deplorable and unacceptable” that the contractor in Red Hook only set up a few orange cones to secure the area beneath the tree. The second bill by Treyger would establish clear procedures for securing a site.
The other two bills are related to oversight and accountability. One would require investigators to more thoroughly scrutinize sites where a death or injury occurred.
“It seemed to me that the City of New York rushed into the site after the tragedy happened and immediately removed the tree. Quite frankly, that was a crime scene,” said Treyger. “We need to conduct an investigation to see who is accountable.”
The last bill would require the city to create a database to track trees that are in danger of falling over.
“There needs to be more accountability and transparency in the system,” said Treyger. “Why did it take over three years to safely remove trees that were killed by the hurricane? There’s no rational answer to that question.”