Here in Roxbury the snow seems to have hit extra hard. With many residents in apartments buildings, cars circling like sharks looking for spots, large numbers of elderly, children and disabled, it seems that services to this area have severely suffered and been very slow to return to normal. We understand that these are extraordinary times and that calls for extraordinary measures. As we previously reported, the snow mountains are everywhere on the side streets and this has created quite a problem for trash removal. Residents have little space to leave barrels and bags and the trash services, if they come at all, seem all to eager to abandon trash pickup for elements beyond residents and owners control.
In some areas we have heard reports that trash has not been picked up in 3 weeks. Here on my own street we have had sporadic service at best.
Here is one area in Grove Hall in a highly populated and visited commercial and residential area. Trash is a critical thing to keeping a city safe. God knows all the things we throw out that are hazardous, diapers, female products, diabetes needles, etc. Not to mention the food we throw away that makes it very attractive to rats, possums and raccoons who are all looking for a quick meal in these conditions.
Take a look at the build up of trash that has not been picked up because the dumpster got snowed on due to no fault of the residents. In fact in this case the dumpster was put out before the snow and only got snowed on because the company missed pickup.
We urge The City of Boston to make a special effort to improve trash collection in Roxbury, Dorchester & Mattapan with special attention to multi-dwelling apartment buildings with dumpsters.
