NYC Considers Placing Containers on Streets to Reduce Rats, But at What Cost to Parking?

The New York Cleaning Department began with a pilot plan to place containers on the streets of the City with the intention of lowering the number of rats, but this would bring a negative consequence: the elimination of hundreds of parking spaces.

According to a study published by the authorities, called the future of garbage, raises the possibility of placing containers in 89 percent of the streets of the City.

This in order to reduce the food source of the rats, which look for food remains in the bags that remain on the sidewalk.

The study indicates that shared containers would be installed in high-density neighborhoods.

However, if this measure is applied throughout the city, it would entail the elimination of 10 percent of the available parking spaces on the streets.

According to data, this would be about 150,000 parking spaces.

Vincent Gragnani, spokesman for the Cleaning Department, emphasized that this program is only in the study phase.

“We want to emphasize that this is a study,” he said.

“We will use wheeled containers that will hold 3 cubic yards each,” he added.

The pilot program will start in Morningside Heights and Hamilton Heights in Manhattan.

In addition to the one that is already operating in West Harlem.

One of the advantages, Gragnani said, is that the collection frequency would improve.

“Now we collect twice a week or three, but with this program we will collect every day,” he explained.