The city’s sanitation department says the program, while successful on one block, would be too difficult and expensive to implement citywide.

A pilot program for ‘containerization’ of New York City’s garbage can’t be applied citywide, according to Department of Sanitation Commissioner Jessica Tisch. Kevin Duggan reports on the story for Streetsblog NYC, quoting Tisch as saying, “This is an incredibly resource-intensive pilot, and this approach is not scalable beyond its current scope.”
The department is evaluating possible avenues for containerization, the practice of streamlining trash collection by putting all trash in containers that can be picked up by automated cranes on trucks. “Tisch called the effort ‘one of the most complicated infrastructure projects’ for the city in the coming decade.”
While the pilot was successful in getting trash bags off the sidewalk, bags still ended up outside the containers, making it difficult to speed up the process since workers still have to exit trucks to load the bags. A successful container program requires frequent pickup, often once or even twice a day as opposed to the city’s current schedule of every two to three days. Meanwhile, the need to use curbside space previously reserved for parking is expected to receive pushback from some resident groups.
Residents and landlords in the pilot block, however, say the program vastly improved sanitation conditions. “On W. 45th Street, Streetsblog found about a month into the pilot that the bins kept the sidewalk blissfully clear of the usual mounds of black garbage sacks New Yorkers have to weave around on the eves of collection days.”
FULL STORY: Clean Curbs Pilot ‘Not Scalable’ Citywide, Says DSNY Commish

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
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Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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