Trash in JH

[Jeffsayyes]

I want to take pictures of the trash on the street. See where it is coming from and who is responsible - notably in the vendor free zone that is proposed. I went yesterday at 3pm and I couldn't believe it - most of the streets were beautiful! I even saw a few people cleaning up their properties and garbage cans at every taco truck. I did catch some areas of blight - mostly where street cleaners fail to go, and garbage can overflows - that was the biggest problem.
I think I hit it at an exceptional time, but I want to ask you: are certain days worse than others? should I go as late as possible into the night? weekdays vs weekends?  whats up?

[madalyn]

Which particular street(s) are you talking about?

[Jeffsayyes]

basically between 72nd and 82nd roosevelt and 37th
trying to cover the vendor free zone proposed here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/orlick/3618383692/sizes/l/in/set-72157603574490592

[madalyn]

I think at least a part of the problem is that we have lost one or more of our regular garbage pick-up days, I'm guessing due to budget cuts.   We are also missing some of our litter baskets on 37th Avenue.   I believe the Doe Fund employees are supposed to take care of the litter between 77th and 82nd Sts. along 37th Ave.  Above that, however, when the Sanitation Dept. does not pick up, the baskets overflow all over the street.  When they eventually DO empty the baskets, they are supposed to pick up the stuff lying all over the ground around the basket but they seldom do.

We have a problem with street litter in J.H. and I think we need to have a community meeting with our local politicos and with the Sanitation Dept.  There is no longer any pickup on Sundays, for example, and when I'm walking to the subway early Monday morning, I feel like I'm wading through the town dump.

[biker]

I saw an older woman throw garbage on the ground yesterday when I was waiting for a friend on the corner of 74th and Roosevelt.  I called her disgusting and told her she should pick it up.  She told me she didn't care and kept going.  THERE WAS A GARBAGE CAN NEARBY!!

[madalyn]

No matter where you go, there will always be some people who are forces of destruction.  I have planted flowers on 37th Ave. for years now and have seen people let their kids rip them up or let their dogs pee on them or jump into the tree surround to crush them - even as we're doing the planting!

I think we have to say something whenever we see these "slobovians", even though the usual response will probably be "F.U. - mind your own business!".  Maybe it will deter them the next time.

The rest of us who care about living in a nice neighborhood have to put in extra effort to more than counterbalance the trash/dog waste depositors and the spray-can wielding morons of the world.

[MarcusW]

I noticed that the newspaper box in front of the 37th Road subway entrance has been used as a garbage dump as well...presumably because that can was already full. I see a lot of overflowing cans...and with the popularity of weekend shoppers in the area - both 82nd and 73/74, no pickup on Sunday guarantees that the streets become a mess by the end of the weekend.

[madalyn]

My personal favorite - which I see a lot, unfortunately, is the trash basket SO full that there is not even room for a toothpick on top.  Some bright light will come along and balance his soda can on top, knowing that it will remain there for nano-seconds only before falling to the ground. 

[NYC Peromyscus]

If you come to 73rd St and 37th Ave on any weekday morning before 7:30-8 AM, then you will see the trash cans overflowing and trash throughout the intersection and towards B'way and 73rd.  The John Doe guys do a good job cleaning it up, but it gets that way every night.

[koku]

I want to take pictures of the trash on the street. See where it is coming from and who is responsible

Let's be honest, and don't be so naive.   Just go to 73rd Street between 37th Road and 37th Ave at night.  There are full of Southern Asians haging out there till past midnight who are contributing the trash on the street everyday.  Also, the street in front of eagle theatre is also filthy spot.  Roosevelt avenue is not so bad compared to 73rd and 74th street.  If you really want to experience how filthy this neighborhood is, just walk to 73rd,  74th street and 37th road between 73rd and 74th early morning in weekend or Monday.  That's the worst.  It is sad that the subway exist of 73rd street where there are many vendors are is a gate to Jackson Heights and basically people visiting JH from outside are welcomed by lots of garbage on the street and a few homeless people sleeping IN THE MIDDLLE OF the street, which pretty much give you an impression that this area is out of control.  No wonder a newspaper called Jackson Heights as one of the filthiest neighborhood in NY.  I feel shame but that is the reality. 

[toddg]

  And here we go again.  Thanks, Koku, for being so predictable.


Jeffsayyes -- I have an alternative hypothesis.  I walk down 74th Street twice a day, around 7 am and 8 pm.  While the street is never as clean as it should be, I find that it is usually much cleaner at 8 pm than it is the next morning.  Often, there are small piles of litter curbside in the morning.  I think that what may be happening is that the taxis that park on the street overnight clean out all of the trash left by customers and leave it on the sidewalk or in the street next to their cars.  I suspect that some targeted outreach to the cabbies as they park on the block after midnight might have a helpful effect.  But a cooperative approach is more likely to be productive than a confrontational one.

I don't believe the street vendors are primarily responsible.  The vendors all make trash bins available, and the one I frequent most keeps a broom and dustbin handy to keep the sidewalk clean.  I think they understand that they are being watched and will be the first to feel the heat on this issue.

My personal pet peeve on 74th Street is how a couple of the buffet-type restaurants (by no means all of them) handle their food waste.  They dispose of it in plastic bags that are no match for the weight of so much liquid, and often rip or leak as they are collected by the waste removal services.  This creates a mess that is already putrid by the early morning hours, and I can imagine is much worse by midday.  The restaurants should package their waste more carefully, and should wash down the sidewalk daily.  I know several community leaders have approached the businesses about addressing this situation, and can't fathom why they have not been willing to cooperate. 

Hopefully when Helen Sears is replaced, we'll have a councilmember who is willing to provide leadership on these issues.

[Jeffsayyes]

but when will she be replaced? She has an awesome name "Sears". damn, that's like Helen America.

I'm going to take pictures because it's proof rather than just speculation. maybe I can convince the taxi drivers to dump their trash in front of Helen Sears' office rather than on Roosevelt.

my hypothesis is that the problem is waste management. There are so many people, that create so much trash, of course the garbage cans overflow. we need more cans or bigger ones. Little india is a problem with people from out of town who don't care too.

people like to complain, but no one likes to do anything. I'm taking one step and I'd like some help with input.

[toddg]

Jeff,

I think you are absolutely right that overflowing trash bins are a major part of the problem.   

And I believe your idea to document the situation in photographs will make an incredibly important contribution to the elevation of this discussion beyond finger-pointing, and the identification of possible solutions.  Thank you for taking the initiative on this!

[Queenskid]

  If you really want to experience how filthy this neighborhood is, just walk to 73rd,  74th street and 37th road between 73rd and 74th early morning in weekend or Monday.  That's the worst. 

  And here we go again.  Thanks, Koku, for being so predictable.

I don't want to get in the middle of some dispute here, but I have to agree with Koku: 74th Street on Monday morning is a horror show and a lot of the trash is generated by people who just dump their garbage on the street.  And I'm not just talking about paper trash.  It's not uncommon to see plates of half-eaten food just thrown on the sidewalk. 
I don't know if the culprits are visitors who show no respect for our community or residents who have no respect for the neighborhood, but the end result is the same.  And while overflowing trash cans may account for some of the garbage, much of it comes from people who don't care.  Years ago we asked the merchants on 74th Street to start a Business Improvement District which would help with issues such as this.  They said no.  Maybe it is time to ask again.

[Griswold Girl]

Is there a way that we can recognize trash conscious business as opposed to non-trash conscious businesses with a sticker or sign in window or list on this website?  For example, if there are two Indian buffets (as mentioned previously) and one is cleaner and more proactive about trash and cooperating with the community I much rather give them my business than the one which does not. 

I agree with everyone about the lack of bins and pick up times.  I might have mentioned this on another thread, but I feel businesses and homeowners can and should help out more.  So many businesses do not clean up in front of their storefronts.  They have this "it is not my trash, not my problem" kind-of attitude.  It would only take them 5 minutes a day to clean up garbage on their sidewalk and curbside.  You can't rely on the city to do everything for you.  Yeah, people litter in front of our co-op all the time and it sucks but our super goes out every morning to clean it up.  We put our own trash cans out on the sides of our buildings and we took charge of the situation.