Trash cans gone from 69th and Fourth

A year after Bay Ridge activistsrequested the removal of the unsightly trash receptacles at BayRidge Avenue and Fourth Avenue, the city has canned the cans.

The Department of Sanitation (DSNY)removed the corner baskets on Monday, May 9, from thatintersection, as well as at Ovington and Fourth Avenues and68^th Street and Fourth Avenue, at the request ofCommunity Board 10.

Board members,disgusted by the amount of household and business waste that wasbeing dumped in the cans, had voted last year to take the basketsaway on a trial basis, to see if cleanliness in the areaimproved.

At that time,however, DSNY had refused to remove the cans, doubling down insteadat Bay Ridge Avenue and Fourth Avenue by adding a second trashreceptacle at each corner, which many board members complained onlymeant twice the trash.

So far, the experiment appears to beworking, said Greg Ahl, the chairperson of the board’s SanitationCommittee. Ahl, who said he had been monitoring conditions at theaffected intersections several times a day, noted that he was,“Surprised that only two bags of garbage were dumped on one cornerthe whole week.

“The cans were disgusting,” Ahlstressed. “I’ve had community board members comment how much betterthe corners look without the baskets. I know a lot of people didn’twant the cans to go, but the residential and commercial garbagethat was being dumped is nowhere to be found now.”

“All in all, promising results,” Ahladded. “We remain optimistic.”

Area residents were less sanguineabout the change, however. “The streets got dirty,” complained KenArroyo. ”I started noticing that a week ago. I think they shouldbring it back. It’s a quality of life issue and that’s why MayorBloomberg talks about, quality of life. Look, there’s four corners.If you need to take two, that’s okay, but four?”

Rosa, who waspassing by, agreed. “It’s no good,” she said. “Streets are going tobe filled with litter. At least with that, you have some place toput bottles and trash.”

The city is taking await-and-see attitude. “We are monitoring it currently,” reportedMatthew Lipani, a DSNY spokesperson.

Additional reporting by Heather J. Chin.