Upon taking office in 2012, Mayor Spano launched Yonkers Green City, one of the most comprehensive sustainability initiatives in the state, which included the establishment of the Office of Sustainability and the Yonkers Green City Advisory Committee. The City of Yonkers has since completed dozens of actions to lower greenhouse gas emissions, reduce waste and improve the city’s environmental health and resiliency, while achieving millions of dollars in energy-cost savings.
Under Mayor Spano’s leadership, Yonkers became the first city in New York to complete the replacement of its nearly 12,000 streetlights with LED bulbs. Going a step further, the City of Yonkers also became the first to take lighting at a city park off the grid entirely with the installation of solar and wind powered LED lights at the JFK Park and Marina. The city’s commitment to renewable energy and emissions reduction has also extended to its operation of buildings, infrastructure, vehicles and equipment with numerous energy-efficiency retrofits, green fleet initiatives, green building standards and the launch of the first emission-free dockless bike and e-scooter micromobility programs. Mayor Spano also led the completion of the award-winning ‘Daylighting’ of the Saw Mill River, which has been called a model for urban redevelopment and environmental revitalization and has received international attention for its innovative approach.