Composting program not progressing as planned

From the Queens Chronicle:

The city’s Department of Sanitation is delaying plans to expand curbside collections of compostable kitchen and yard waste beyond the program’s current footprint.

But DSNY officials say neighborhoods that already place their waste in brown bins for recycling will continue receiving the service while the city looks to adjust some aspects of the program.

“We believe that for the program to be successful over the long term, we must ensure New Yorkers are getting the very best service when curbside organics collection reaches their neighborhoods,” the DSNY said in a statement to the Chronicle. “To achieve this, the City is evaluating its current service with the goal of increasing efficiencies and streamlining the program and has temporarily placed the schedule for expanding the curbside organics program on hold.”

The agency expects to have a modified expansion schedule in the coming months.

The DSNY said it is expanding its outreach effort in communities that are slated to join the program soon after it restarts.

Removed trash baskets cause dumpers to trash neighborhoods

This PIX11 story is about a residential area in Harlem having their street corner trash baskets removed, however we're aware that this seems to be happening all over the city, even in commercial areas. There's a backwards logic that removing cans means people won't dump trash, which just is not the case.

The night belongs to lovers but the day belongs to these people

"I've been living in Woodside since 1978 and this is the first street singer I've seen. And he is pretty darn good!" - SirBill55

How charming!

Watch behind the singer and you'll notice some not-so-kosher things going on. Cabs shouldn't be making U-turns in the middle of Roosevelt Ave and commercial establishment shouldn't be dumping their garbage next to public trash bins. It's funny to see the video end with the busker staring at a Hefty bag.

Thanks, Kent, for passing this along.

City's trash cans being pilfered

From NBC:

It's not clear why, but thieves are stealing the city's 275-pound trash cans. Melissa Russo reports in an I-Team exclusive.

Taking out the trash in Flushing

From the Queens Chronicle:

Councilman Peter Koo (D-Flushing) announced that Flushing’s “Restaurant Row” — a block of 40th Road between Prince Street and Main Street — will receive 150 45-gallon pails from Crown Container Company on Tuesday to help clean it up.

“40th Road has always been a challenging part of Flushing,” Koo said. “Crown Container has been an outstanding partner in Flushing, and we are grateful that they have supplied these waste receptacles and new trucks to address the sanitation problems of 40th Road.”

Distribution of the pails began on Monday.

The container company recently bought $300,000 worth of equipment for sanitation on 40th Road and other sections of the neighborhood. Crown also will begin to use a new truck that has a cart tipper which will work to keep the containers from spilling. The collections will happen at 5 p.m. and 10 p.m.

So this company is helping clean up NYC, yet NYC still wants to take away their land for a shitty Willets Point project that will never happen. Okay.

City places trash cans where they said it was a bad idea

From the Times Ledger:

The city Department of Sanitation has placed city trash receptacles at the Prince Street triangle under the “Adopt A Basket” program after forcing the Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce to remove trash bins donated by an area company to address the trash problem.

Crown Container Company installed the industrial-strength bins and agreed to empty them daily as a free community service to address the proliferation of trash at the intersection on Prince Street and 37th Avenue in downtown Flushing.

But after the Sanitation Department met with Councilman Peter Koo (D-Flushing), the chamber was forced to remove them. The trash bins each cost more than $600.

Simon Gershon, president of the Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce, reached the agreement Monday with Ignazio Terranova, who was representing the Sanitation commissioner, which was announced at a news conference at the triangle.

So, the logic is that a private company can't put out trash cans because they will attract household garbage, but the DSNY can.

Why doesn't the de Blasio administration just admit that they are pissed at Crown Container for kicking the city's ass at Willets Point and they couldn't stand to be embarrassed by them again?

City prefers that Flushing stay dirty

From the Queens Tribune:

A business-led solution to address illegal dumping and garbage on Flushing streets was canned by the NYC Department of Sanitation on Monday.

Crown Container, a private contractor for commercial garbage pick up, announced on Friday that they would remove trash from a pedestrian triangle at the intersection of 37th Avenue and Prince Street, where illegal dumping is common.

But on Monday, the company was told they had to pack up the five industrial-strength garbage receptacles they had placed on the triangle, or face fines and violations.

Crown had volunteered to empty the bins once a day free of charge, in the hopes that those who were dumping would use the receptacles and therefore keep the area neater.

They had specifically ordered the bins, which cost upwards of $600, from Wisconsin.

But Sanitation believes private containers on public property were against the rules and probably a bad idea.

“Private trash containers cannot be placed out on public property without the City authorization. Placing private trash containers there would more than likely attract more bags and illegal drop offs,” a spokeswoman for the agency said.

(It's more likely that they are planning to give a contract to one of de Blasio's donors to remove the trash.)

Removing garbage cans doesn't reduce garbage in subway

From Crains:

A state comptroller's audit is critical of a Metropolitan Transportation Authority pilot program that removed trash cans from 39 subway stations to reduce garbage and rats.

The report is critical of how the MTA measured the program's success and says there's no clear sign the four-year experiment is working.

The MTA says it disagrees. It says the trash can removal produced less trash, thus leading to a reduction in the rat population at those stations.

It says it will continue the program but has no plans to expand it.

Fewer cans make for cleaner subway

From the Daily News:

Leave people with no place to throw their garbage, and they’ll take their garbage with them.

That was the novel hope of the MTA when the agency removed those clunky cylindrical bins from dozens of stations. Platforms without a place to stash trash were none the worse, a test program over the last four years found.

NYC Transit President Carmen Bianco called the results “counterintuitive.” He said that the agency “asked the customers for their cooperation, it looks like they listened.”

Trash cans were first removed from 10 stations around the city, including the bustling Flushing-Main St. stop on the 7 line and 57th Street F train stop in Manhattan. Those stations saw 66% fewer trash bags hauled out.

Then the MTA yanked cans out of 29 stations on the J, M, Z lines in July 2014. That produced more than a third fewer garbage bags, according to the MTA.

Will major trashcan replacement make things cleaner?

From WPIX:

The snow has melted and it reveals a new problem in New York City.

Neighborhoods are reporting piles of trash.

The NYC Department of Sanitation Commissioner attended an event to unveil new receptacles along Woodhaven Boulevard and Jamaica Avenue.

PIX11 News Reporter Greg Mocker asked NYC Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia about other trouble spots.

NYC Councilmember Eric Ulrich says 50 new containers will appear along the stretch of road where the event was held.

Problem corner kept clean

"Residents are very pleased and continue to comment on the clear side walk. The location is Merrick Boulevard between 108 & 109 avenues.

Just to remind supporters, this is a result of The Untouchables diligent work. Officer Cedillo and his team from the 103 rd. precinct, did what local leaders said was impossible. They simply interpret and enforced the law on behalf of residents.

The Untouchables removed a vast amount of abandoned vehicles (eyesores), throughout their jurisdiction and warned chop shop owners, that they cannot leave their cars on the sidewalk for an extended time. They even gave chop shop owners 24-hours notice.

For years, local leaders said they were working on a strategy, but nothing was done. Needless to say, they were operating under the same law.

However, a few months ago, The Untouchables set out to assist with the abandoned vehicles' epidemic. Well, well, well, the once don't-give-a-damn chop shop owners have a new status ( law abiding citizens).

Team P/J is still working on the garbage situation at the bus stop. Cameras have to be installed. Sooner or later, the cave people will become law abiders too.

Thanks again to the Untouchables, your presence has a lasting effect.

Photos were taken 9/14/14.

Side walk is made for walking, and that's just what we'll do.

Garbage dump violators will soon be caught." - Pamela Hazel

Candid Camera comes to Queens

Candid Camera visited Queens last week, stopping in Jamaica Estates in the first segment to deliver color coded garbage cans to unsuspecting residents, and then did 3 segments at Silver Barn in Middle Village (even though they mistakenly called it Brooklyn).

You can watch the entire episode here.

Litter plaguing Elmhurst as well

From NY1:

A trail of trash leads to a lack of litter baskets say residents living near the Woodhaven Boulevard Station in Queens.

"The surrounding area is a total dump,” said one resident.

"Here we live in a civilized world and this trash has been here, it looks like months,” said another.

Closer to weeks since a severe littering problem has resurfaced here. A year ago, NY1 told you about the loads of litter lying on the ground, offending those who live and work in the area.

"It's kind of disturbing to look at. It's usually pretty filthy,” said a resident.

"People going to the mall, coming off the subway and just throwing the trash around the station because there's really nowhere for them to throw it away,” said resident Daniel Hirsch.

At the time, we contacted the Department of Sanitation and the agency sent a crew to clean up the area. A spokesman said DSNY crews had recently removed trash bins due to excessive misuse. However, he went on to say Sanitation would put some litter baskets back on a trial basis.

Taking trash cleanup into their own hands

Residents had been calling the borough president's office for about five weeks to complain about: over grown weeds, garbage and other disturbing elements at our famous park, 109th. & Merrick Boulevard.

Early Friday morning, 8/15/14, I observed sanitation workers at the site. They took up bags of garbage, but left the garbage that was scattered. Later in the day, I called Ms. Boranian/liaison at b/p's office, and informed her of my observation.

She told me that she will call the sanitation department and have the workers return and remove the scattered garbage. She also said that she will have the weeds removed. However, that statement did not become a reality.

So, the next day around 7:00 a.m on Saturday, members and supporters of team P/J -- Clean Up Jamaica Now, arrived at the famous park. The breeze was cool and the atmosphere was calm. The eyesore however, was still present.

Several of us, rolled up our sleeves, protected our hands with gloves and began to clean up. We had in our possession: brooms, rakes, shovels, large garbage bags and other tools.

Approximately, one hour and a half later, we completed the job. About eight bags were filled; some with the scattered garbage, others with weeds and dry leaves.

The three participants: Leroy Comrie, Malcolm Smith and Munir Avery are vying to be our next senator. They are aware of the permanent eyesore. However, only Munir Avery showed up to assist in the clean up.

*** This event was organized with the assistance of my comrade-in-arms/Joe
Moretti.

Before ---- photos were taken on Friday, 8/15/14. Sanitation workers left some of the garbage scattered on the ground. Also, the bagless garbage bin is filthy with residue. - Pamela Hazel

Pedestrian plaza has become total crap

From the Queens Courier:

It started out as a beautification and community development project, but a pedestrian plaza on the Brooklyn-Queens border is an eyesore that is detrimental to business, locals say.

Five parking spots were permanently removed last November when the Department of Transportation (DOT) built the plaza at Drew Street and 101st at City Line.

“This plaza has totally crippled my business,” said Ahmad Ubayda, owner of the 99 Cent Ozone Park Discount Hardware store on the corner of the block. “This has been my worst year of business because they took away parking spaces for my customers but aren’t even using them.”

The site has deteriorated since its opening, locals charged.

Four tables and 12 chairs set up in a small section of the plaza while most of the space isn’t used.

Initial plans called for ample seating space, permanent bench seating and bike parking. When the plaza was first built there were plenty of chairs and tables, some even with umbrellas.

But a few weeks after its grand opening much of the furniture, which was chained up to a nearby light pole, was stolen and it hasn’t been fully replaced since, according to residents.

Now the plaza has just four tables, 12 chairs, two permanent benches and no bike parking space.

Moreover, the Bangladesh American Community Development and Youth Services Corporation (BACDYS), a local nonprofit organization, is responsible for the plaza’s upkeep, according to the DOT. Yet garbage overflowed from several cans and littered the floors on Monday.

Trash can overflow at Little Bay Dog Run

"This is the garbage pail next to the Little Bay Dog Run – it’s looked like this for several days now! And the hose DISAPPEARED the very day the DPR put down some new, terribly sharp, gravelly sand - really nice move considering that there’s NO SHADE in the entire run.

It’s a pity that so much thought and consideration (not to mention money!) goes into the design and maintenance of the bocce courts and so little into the extremely few, shitty, under-sized and overcrowded dog runs in Queens!

Dogs may not vote but their owners do!" - Flooshing Rezident

Household garbage being dumped on commercial strip

From the Queens Ledger:

So what happens if public trashcans regularly overflow with trash? 
Well, according to the Department of Sanitation (DSNY) the wasted baskets will be removed, especially if the department believes they are being used by residents to illegally dispose of household garbage.

“DSNY will remove baskets if they are being misused, or if the location no longer meets the requirements for litter basket placement,” explained a representative of the DSNY.

On Grand Avenue, several residents and business owners have watched the large metal baskets appear and disappear on dozens of corners throughout the business district.

After one can was recently removed because nearby homeowners were regularly dumping large quantities of trash, the location became a dumping ground for trash bags and litter.

The shop owner explained that the same residents are dumping trash where the bin once stood, leaving them and other business owners responsible for the cleanup.

Ad hoc Hunters Point bus bench!

Once upon a time, there was a bus shelter with a bench at Jackson Avenue and 11th Street.

When the B32 was brought into service, they had to change the sign. At the same time, they also removed the shelter. It has yet to return. However, someone has improvised seating.

Note the garbage can! I love it.

Garbage pile up in Flushing

"As I was walking to the bus, I noticed this garbage all over the place by a construction site on union street and 39 avenue.

I actually first noticed this trash last week sometime, but it seems as if the pile is only getting larger.

I actually first noticed this trash last week sometime, but it seems as if the pile is only getting larger.

Dumping at a bus stop

"This sickening site is what queens residents had to endure over the weekend 5/3&4/2014. A filthy bedspread, boxes, dirty diapers and other household garbage at our BUS STOP.

Unfortunately, we live among uncivilized people who really should have stayed in their caves. They disguise themselves as normal human beings and we suffer as a result.

This location is Merrick Boulevard & 108th Avenue. The garbage bin is for litter, NOT for household garbage, but the area is used as a permanent garbage dumping ground.

For years residents have been complaining and asking local leaders to enforce the law. ($100 fine for household usage) A sign is placed on every garbage bin. So far, no law enforcement.

The borough president's office said that sanitation needs identification to enforce the law. But sanitation does not bother to look for I.D. So, in an effort to assist, I took the address and photos of the discarded boxes. The garbage belongs to 104-19 Merrick Boulevard.

As Councilman, Leroy Comrie, vowed to clean-up this area, according to the Queens Chronicle. Now as Deputy BP, he has totally forgotten his vow. His personal agenda, is running for another office.

Ruben Wills, Councilman said that he will introduce a bill to put violators in jail. But he was led away in handcuffs today (5/7/14) for misuse of public funds. He might be headed to jail instead.

Ms. Boranian, you are the constituents personnel in the B/P office. Can you please ask sanitation to enforce the law? I will call your office in a few days for a follow-up." - Pamela Hazel