WILLIAMSBURG — Something's rotten in the Big Apple.
Parts of the city are starting to look more like the old Fresh Kills Landfill after a series of snowstorms delayed trash pickup — leaving festering mountains of refuse across the sidewalk, angry New Yorkers said.
Mayor Bill de Blasio warned last week that garbage trucks would be diverted to focus on snow removal, leaving regularly scheduled trash pickups until after the President's Day holiday.
But locals say the trucks can't come soon enough.
“They should be cleaning it,” fumed East Village resident Selena Ma, 25, who works for Facebook. “Aren’t they supposed to be picking up three times a week? Can’t they fix this problem?”
Hospital receptionist Fidelina Cruz, 61, said the mountain of trash stacked up on East 12th Street made it "tough to even walk.”
“It’s hazardous, it’s disgusting, it smells,” Cruz said.
The situation didn't seem to be any better in Brooklyn.
"Worst part of constant NYC snow is lack of trash pickup," tweeted Matt Patches. "Giant piles on sidewalks. Park Slope looks like The Wall from Game of Thrones."
YouTube user Divrai Yoel posted a video showing heaps of snow-covered trash stretching all the way down a Williamsburg block.
The Department of Sanitation admitted on Tuesday that it was chasing the backlog that was created between snowstorms and, in a tweet, acknowledged the accumulation of "tons of trash & recycling at curbs throughout NYC."
"DSNY crews are performing limited collection service on regularly scheduled days and also picking up backlogged trash and recycling," the Department said in a statement. "They will continue to do so as we attempt to get back to our regular schedules... weather permitting."
The Department urged New Yorkers to continue to leave their garbage curbside and said it will try its best to get to it.
Twitter user Aly Walansky posted, “6-7th avenue/berkeley in park slope - garbage has been sitting for weeks! (I'm sure the rats think it's xmas dinner).”
