Parks are fundamental to a liveable New York City. Green spaces and trees improve our health and clean our air, tourism and cultural events in parks boost our economy, and pools, playgrounds and playing fields bring joy to New Yorkers of all ages. But in the past two years alone, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation has lost funding for more than 700 jobs which have yet to be restored — and we see the impact on our city’s parks every day.
There are fewer workers to keep our parks clean, and as a result two-thirds of our public restrooms now have health or safety issues. There are fewer workers to care for our city’s 2.5 million trees, most visibly resulting in an increase this past year in dangerous fires which — with a continued lack of maintenance — will only continue to accelerate.
And with fewer parks enforcement patrol officers, whose numbers have dropped to under 250 to cover 30,000 acres of parkland, New Yorkers feel less safe in their parks.
From cleanliness to safety, fewer parks workers has meant worsening conditions. And the health and cleanliness of parks are a clear, visible sign that impacts how we as New Yorkers view our own city. So as our parks degrade as a result of underfunding, our city’s livability degrades as well.
These cuts and staffing reductions also come at the same time our city is facing an affordability crisis. We need a strong workforce with stable, well-paying union jobs that make it easier for hardworking New Yorkers who love this city and their jobs to stay in their communities and make a positive impact on their neighbors. Staffing reductions have made it significantly harder for workers to get their jobs done.
Those impacted include workers like Urban Park Rangers, 50 of whom remain on yearly contracts with no guarantee of renewal. These rangers are dedicated to their work of connecting New York City kids with nature and learning opportunities, but job instability puts the entire ranger team and their programming in constant jeopardy.
Or one of our parks enforcement patrol officers, who, instead of patrolling parks and ensuring visitors are safe, is forced to spend her days doing administrative work because her team is so depleted. Or a trails coordinator who has seen his team dwindle to just two people as both the administration and the City Council failed to fund them this year, making it physically impossible to maintain the forests and trails in his district that so many New Yorkers rely on for a breath of fresh air.
Or the case of a parks crew chief, who was assaulted on the job because he is opening and closing parks alone — while he used to do so with a partner — putting his and the safety of other park workers at risk.
These are not just individual instances; they represent systemic consequences of the disinvestment that has permeated the Parks Department for decades. If not remedied, the impacts of the agency’s vulnerability on the city’s parks and on New Yorkers will continue, with a shrinking workforce leaving our city’s green spaces unusable.
We risk a future where generations of New Yorkers grow up without access to safe and clean parks. The issue is about more than unkempt landscapes, it’s about losing vital civic spaces — places where shared experiences enrich lives and help build our city’s identity. By neglecting our parks, we’re chipping away at the very essence of what binds us.
Our parks workers deserve better — they deserve stability and safety. And New Yorkers deserve better — they deserve safe and clean parks. We applaud Council Speaker Adrienne Adams for calling to restore the Parks Department with $79.7 million in funding as part of this year’s city budget, which would include the restoration of 795 jobs.
Parks aren’t just a nice-to-have amenity, they are a necessity. For a more livable New York City with improved quality-of-life for all, we must restore our Parks Department’s funding and staffing. We will work alongside the mayor and the City Council to fight for meaningful investments in this year’s budget.
And to each candidate running to become our next mayor, we call on you to commit to being the leader who finally delivers on a vibrant and fully-funded parks system for New Yorkers in every corner of our city.
Garrido is the executive director of District Council 37, New York City’s largest public employee union, representing 150,000 members and 89,000 retirees. Ganser is executive director of New Yorkers for Parks.
