Trash Pick-Up Resumes A Week After Blizzard
NEW YORK (CBS 2/1010 WINS) – Much of the snow from last week's storm is gone, but there are still mountains of trash on New York City sidewalks.
All of those plastic bags are turning into a smelly and unattractive mess, with some trash piles taller than the fences that support them.
Finally, though, relief may be on the way, reports CBS 2's Kathryn Brown.
Dirt, smelly trash has been poling up in the city for days.
"It's pretty bad, they need to take care of it," one resident said.
"It's just piles and piles of trash all over," Daniel Goudeket, of the Upper West Side, said.
On Sunday, though, a site for sore, storm-weary eyes finally emerged as garbage trucks began fanning out on city streets. The trucks started to clear some of the trash that's been accumulating since the snowstorm sacked the city a week ago.
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"We came through Chinatown, and there was definitely a hint of stench there," Upper West Side resident Charles Deeney said.
While the city has faced a landslide of criticism for its handling of the storm, resident Nick Terrace blames residents for all of the trash.
"Probably the perfect storm because of the Christmas wrappings and all of the extra food people buy for the holidays," he said.
On Sunday, sanitation workers tackled dumpsters. Trucks will begin collecting the huge piles collecting on almost every street corner of the city on Monday.
"You see nothing but garbage," Bronx resident Arthur Knight said. "I'm from the Bronx, so I get on the trains and I see down here it's all the same everywhere – garbage everywhere."
Starting Monday, sanitation workers will resume limited trash pickup. They say residents should follow their normal schedule, hauling garbage – including Christmas trees – to the curb on their regular pickup day.
However, they say residents bear some responsibility, and should clear a path to the garbage piles and shovel snow off of bags and pails so workers can get to everyone quicker.
For now recyclables will not be collected. Alternate side parking and meter rules will be back in effect for the city on Monday.
