What is Riverdale’s biggest quality-of-life concern?

The Riverdale Press’ second opinion poll asked residents what their biggest quality-of-life concerns are in the area.

In our inaugural opinion poll, appearing in last week’s paper, our team noticed a high percentage of community members who responded with concerns about quality-of-life issues — from trash and rats to disruptive noise. We decided to drill down further into those issues, asking respondents to let us know which commonly-cited concern is most prevalent in their lives.

Respondents chose between concerns about street lighting, auto-parts theft, rats, trash and cleanliness, noise, and street and sidewalk upkeep, including potholes and other damage.

Half of those who responded to the poll selected trash and cleanliness around the area as the most prevalent quality-of-life concern. The second most-selected answer was auto-parts theft, with 20% of respondents selecting it.

Rats, street and sidewalk upkeep, and street lighting received equal amounts of responses, tying for third place. The graph below displays the breakdown of answers the poll received.

These polls not only allow The Press to gauge public opinion on community issues, but they also inform how we approach our coverage moving forward. They help us better understand how we can best serve our community, and what issues are important to our readers. We sincerely thank every person who has provided their input on our opinion polls, and we hope you continue to make your voices heard.

Participate in the next poll

There is still time to submit responses to our next opinion poll, which will close at noon on Friday, Oct. 9. Taking into account community input and city calls to increase housing production in the area, this week’s poll asks residents whether they feel the northwest Bronx is in need of more housing.

The poll can be accessed here, at linkin.bio/riverdalepress or via The Riverdale Press on Facebook and @riverdalepress on Instagram.

Respondents will also have the opportunity to let us know what they would like to see covered or polled next.

Personal information collected in polls is for verification purposes only, and will not be published. Responses missing required information will not be included in the final data. Respondents are limited to one response per person.

For those who do not wish to take the polls, but would still like to submit their opinions or tips, our inboxes at letters@riverdalepress.com and newsroom@riverdalepress.com are always open as well.

Alexa Lewis is editor-in-chief of The Riverdale Press.