Two cans closer to a less-trashed Alki Beach

| Environment | West Seattle news

Remember our June story about Diana‘s quest for Metro to bring back a trash can at the 61st/Alki bus stop? A customer-service rep had told her it was pulled (years earlier, it turned out) for overuse and wouldn’t be replaced. Then the next day – a replacement, after all. Today, Diana tells us, she’s scored bins for the corner to the east:

She explained to us via e-mail, “So as not to overburden the Metro trash can (as was their concern), I asked Seattle Public Utilities if they could install both trash and recycling bins on the opposite corner of 61st. Surprisingly, they responded saying my request met all the requirements to do so. It took eight weeks, and I had almost given up hope, but they miraculously showed up yesterday.” She sent the photo as proof. So if you’re at the beach sometime soon and use those new cans, you know who to thank. (If you’re having a big party, though, consider bringing bag[s] so you can pack it out.)

4thGenWestSide August 18, 2016 (10:52 am)

Kudos to Diana. It is a good lesson that being tenacious sometimes pays off. She is making West Seattle a better place. Now it is our turn.

seaopgal August 18, 2016 (11:12 am)

Yes, thanks, Diana!

Justin August 18, 2016 (11:19 am)

Thanks Diana!

old timer August 18, 2016 (11:21 am)

Nice work Diana, and thanks to SPU as well.

Hope there is follow thru on pick-up/emptying.

Oakley34 August 18, 2016 (11:27 am)

The ‘pulled for overuse’ thing kills me. Now I get that means that too many non-metro patrons were using the can can creating too much trash, but to pull a can because of too much trash is a ‘duh, no shit’ method to creating more street trash. This city needs MORE cans, and not just at bus stops and outside businesses. Walk the length of 35th (which applies a scattershot approach to which bus stops receive cans and which do not) and see all the trash for yourself. Metro shouldn’t bear this responsibility alone, but the city needs to provide more opportunities for people to responsibly dispose of trash and recycling. And yeah folks, don’t litter.

newnative August 18, 2016 (11:58 am)

I know a lot of y’all don’t understand but I use the buses regularly and it killed me to see their trash cans full of fast-food waste, birds pulling out trash and scattering it on the sidewalks, attracting bees. There should be no reason why bus drivers (or extra Metro employees) should be handling that volume of trash or being held liable for overflowing trash from beachgoers, restaurants and wildlife. So, now many cans are gone and the sidewalks are cleaner for it. One thing I miss about plastic bags is that I used to carry them so I could pick up stray litter and throw it all away later.
Joe Dirt August 18, 2016 (12:24 pm)

Totally agree.

Funny thing, I saw some recycle and compost bags set up by the bus stop at Charlestown and California Ave. the bags were hanging from a metal frame and were ripped within a few days. It’s possible a business did this and not Metro but it’s a fail.

The length of CA Ave (like 35th) is a mess. Businesses and property owners are supposed to keep that easement clean but ithas been full of all sorts if trash for decades.
- WSB August 18, 2016 (12:57 pm)
  
  Those containers were temporary, required for the West Seattle Grand Parade. The ones to which you refer actually had stayed around too long – someone e-mailed us about it and we checked on it; they then contacted Rotary, which presents the parade, and it got taken away – TR

AmandaKH August 18, 2016 (11:49 am)

Great work Diana!

miws August 18, 2016 (12:03 pm)

Yes, kudos to Diana!

I think 8 weeks is not too bad, considering, whether it’s “city process”, or just a scenario of “Yes, it meets the qualifications, but due to current workload and other locations being ahead of this on our list, we expect to install two cans down there in about 10-12 weeks”.

Mike

Joe Dirt August 18, 2016 (12:25 pm)

Thanks Diana.

chemist August 18, 2016 (2:32 pm)

Looking at google street view, the bus stop used to be flanked on each side by trash cans, so 2 is a return to the old level. I’d be curious if the high trash can use at the bus stop correlated to any removal of trash cans as a part of the old “pack it out” campaign that was going on around 2009ish.

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/seattle-cuts-back-on-trash-cans-in-parks/

This year, in response to a midyear city budget crisis, the parks department planned to save about $160,000 by removing 400 more — some from well-used parks.

Janell August 18, 2016 (3:14 pm)

Great idea & thanks to the nudge. Now on the dark side: people are slobs with little interest of concern as to where they dump their trash. Take a look at the stadiums after the games, trashed by humans. Same goes for movie theatres where bins are convenient at the exit.

d August 18, 2016 (4:07 pm)

This city is absurd they’re literally should be a trash can on every other Corner in West Seattle everybody pays plenty of taxes for them to be able to cover that realistically until there is no one can complain about litter

Jennie August 18, 2016 (6:50 pm)

Thanks Diana! Way to be persistent!

Junction Lady August 18, 2016 (10:18 pm)

The metro stop at California and Edmunds by the 7-11 is notorious for trash on the ground. When I called metro their response, “only bus stops with shelters have trash receptacles”.

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