Maspeth residents fed up with piles of garbage along freight train tracks: "It's just an eyesore"

There's a garbage problem in Maspath. 

Deluxe Windows owner John Ficano says he has had enough of the garbage, odors, and vermin along the freight railroad tracks across from his storefront on Eliot Avenue.

"It's been a problem, I'd say, for the last 25 years," Ficano said. "It's just an eyesore for the whole neighborhood."

Maspeth resident Daniel Kalmann first contacted CBS News New York in 2023 about conditions on the tracks behind his home.

"I'm frustrated and annoyed and somewhat disgusted that they can't take care of this," he said. "This is New York. If you have a property and somebody throws a candy wrapper on the property, it's not nice of that person to do that, but it's your responsibility to not leave it on the property, to take it off of there. That's just how it goes."

"They don't care about this neighborhood"

After CBS News New York reported on the issue in 2024, the arrival of cleanup crews gave Kalmann hope. But he says the work was never completed, and the garbage is now as bad as ever.

He points to fallen trees and overgrown vegetation as evidence of years of neglect by New York & Atlantic Railway, which operates freight service on tracks leased from the Long Island Rail Road.

"They don't care about this neighborhood. They go through," Kalmann said.

Kalmann and his neighbors also say sealed rail cars carrying garbage produce a foul stench.

"Illegal dumping is a problem that impacts all of us"

New York & Atlantic declined an on-camera interview but said in a statement:

"Thank you for contacting New York & Atlantic Railway. Illegal dumping is a problem that impacts all of us.  We have done 10 clean ups this year and we maintain miles of right of way. Illegal dumping is a non-stop issue, and we continue doing our part to improve the quality of life for our neighbors. When trees, limbs, or other obstacles pose a threat to safety or railroad operations, they are investigated immediately. NYA continually monitors conditions along our tracks, and we urge our neighbors to remain vigilant and report any illegal dumping to the authorities. We all need to work together to confront illegal dumping, unauthorized access to rail tracks, and to keep our communities safe and clean.

"We have a contract with an independent environmental firm that monitors and inspects cars for odors."

"They have to clean up after every shipment"

Council Member Phil Wong says dumping from the surrounding neighborhood is only part of the problem. He points to debris that he says falls from New York & Atlantic freight cars.

"One day it's trash. The other day could be construction equipment," Wong said. "They have to clean up after every shipment."

The New York City Department of Sanitation confirmed it has not issued violations related to the site because it does not have physical access to the railroad property. The agency said it has cleaned nearby overpasses three times this year and plans to contact the MTA about conditions on the tracks.

After the MTA declined to provide a copy of the lease agreement, CBS News New York obtained a provision through a Freedom of Information request requiring New York & Atlantic to keep the railroad right-of-way clean.

"The MTA is as frustrated as the community"

When asked whether current conditions constitute a breach of the lease and whether the agency plans to renew the agreement when it expires in 2027, the MTA declined to answer directly, stating:

"The MTA is as frustrated as the community with persistent illegal dumping on and around railroad tracks. While responsibility for cleaning this site is with the New York and Atlantic Railway, in the interest of being a good neighbor the MTA will send crews to support cleanup efforts while long-term solutions are explored in partnership with the NYPD and the NYC Department of Sanitation."

Wong believes New York & Atlantic must take accountability.

"This brings a really bad name to the neighborhood. We don't want that. If they're good neighbors, we'll be good neighbors," he said.

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