New York City trash collection falls behind due to snow, but DSNY says it's on the case
If you've been walking around New York City this week, you've probably noticed it -- bags stacked high, bins overflowing, and piles of trash lining the sidewalks.
The holdup on collection may be hard to miss, but considering what the city just went through with the snowstorm, some say it should be cut a little slack
DSNY crews working 12-hour shifts
The Department of Sanitation said Monday it is about 24 hours behind and is working as fast as possible to pick everything up, but also said crews have been focused first on clearing the snow and thick ice from streets and sidewalks to make travel safe.
Trash collection, the agency admitted, has fallen behind, but the city said the work is very much underway.
"I know they are working with everything that they have to come up to speed and that will continue to be a focus for us," Mayor Zohran Mamdani said.
Behind the scenes, hundreds of sanitation trucks are rolling out every shift, with crews working 12 hours at a time. Thousands of employees are on the job, pushing to get the city back on schedule as quickly as possible, officials said.
"It's repulsive every day"
Some residents said Monday the city has to do a better job.
"It's bad. Honestly, I can't think of another thing to say. It's repulsive every day," Ramy Rayan said.
In one Upper East Side neighborhood known for pristine sidewalks, residents said they were annoyed by the sight of piles of trash bags one after another.
"It's just kind of gross. I'm hoping they clean it up pretty soon," a resident said.
On the West Side, black garbage bags are stacked curbside and tower over people walking by.
"Nobody's picking it up. No recycling, no composting, no garbage and nothing," one person said.
"I live up in the Bronx," Rahcarah Henry added. "It's worse than this garbage. [It is] just piled up super high."
"It has been more than a day, sitting here for more than a day. This is like day four or five. It seems like a little longer than a day," another resident said.
"Sometimes, we just got to be a little patient"
Others asked for the irritated to have some perspective. There is at least one thing positive. With the cold weather, the trash is frozen. Therefore, it's not rotting and smelling up the streets.
"We understand the snow is going to slow everybody down, so sometimes, we just got to be a little patient. You know what I mean? A little bit of patience," Hell's Kitchen resident Frankie Legs added.
"If you live in New York and you don't just roll with the punches, you're never going to be okay with it," another person said.
It all serves as a reminder that winter cleanup is still a work in progress.