HELL’S KITCHEN — Dozens of new garbage bins are popping up at intersections throughout Manhattan’s West Side, thanks to a citywide trash cleanup initiative.
On Monday, Councilman Corey Johnson and Department of Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia unveiled a brand new trash can at the northwest corner of West 58th Street and Ninth Avenue.
The “high volume waste basket” is one of 58 that are being placed at intersections throughout City Council District 3, which includes Hell’s Kitchen, Chelsea, Greenwich Village and the West Village.
“On top of our many residents, we have hundreds of thousands of individuals who work in the area… and tourists that come to see all the great places [in the district], so you can imagine how quickly our waste baskets fill up on a daily basis,” Johnson said.
The $95,921 allocated by Johnson through the NYC Cleanup Initiative has also gone toward increasing garbage pickups at 10 corridors throughout the district, he noted.
Residents living at the Coliseum Park Apartments at 345 W. 58th St., at the corner of West 58th Street and Ninth Avenue, have been waiting for a new bin for months, Coliseum board member and longtime resident Susan Lahn said.
“We had a lot of trash in the grass and the bushes,” Lahn said as she stood next to the new bin. “As long as people throw their garbage in it, I’ll be happy.”
With all the foot traffic from businesses, residences, colleges and Mount Sinai West in the neighborhood, trash piles up quickly in the existing cans, she added.
In a statement, Community Board 4 Chair Delores Rubin said overflowing waste bins have “consistently [been] one of the top complaints to 311 in our area.”
The board has “consistently” asked for additional sanitation resources throughout the district, she added.
Jason Panarella, 39, the resident manager at the Coliseum, said the new bin would cut down the time his employees spend picking up trash and emptying a bin in front of the building.
“It’s the little things,” he said. “People don’t realize how much one garbage can can help out.”
EDITOR'S NOTE: A previous version of the story stated that increased trash pickup would begin following Monday's press conference, based on information provided by the Councilman's office. Increased trash pickups began several months ago.
