Keeping the streets clean (Philadelphia, Penn: rental, house, university)

[UK85]

Quick question, I know there are much narrower streets than many other major American cities. Also people live in a very close proximity to one another in terms of row homes etc BUT how come we all pay a fair chunk of tax to live and work here but they can't keep it all that clean. Especially down where I am in Bella Vista. So much trash around. Pretty much my biggest gripe with the city thus far

[FamousBlueRaincoat]

One of the most notable things in my 4 years in Philadelphia has been the almost complete lack of street cleaning trucks, except perhaps before or after a big event downtown.

What's really keeping Philly from cleaning up its streets :: News :: Philadelphia City Paper

[rotodome]

South Philly has always had a problem with a lot of trash in the streets.
Narrow streets, narrow sidewalks, tiny lots, not many alleys - trash just has few tidy places to go and a lot of it ends up in the streets.

That's not to say that the Streets Dept does a great job, either... a lot of the time the streets are trashier after they come through than before.

And while I loved being able to park my car on the street for weeks at a time for all the years I lived in Center City (because they almost never made you move it for the very rare street cleanings), the streets stayed pretty dirty.

On the other hand, it's a pain having to move my car twice a week in Brooklyn, but they do clean every street at least twice a week, and if you don't move your car for street cleaning you get a fat ticket and a bright yellow 'shame' sticker slapped on your car right quick.
Which gives me a great idea - Philly should let it's most ruthlessly efficient agency, the PPA, take charge of street cleaning.

[sj08054]

My biggest complain of S Philly regarding "trash". I have a rental property right by a bus stop and lots of people waiting for bus thinks it is acceptable to litter as they wait for their bus. The problem then becomes other people problem when winds are blowing. A single person can't do the clean up. One may come out twice a day to clean up around their house but it will get blow back within hours cause other's are not doing the same.

2nd big problem is those advertising flyers they are leaving all over the doors. They become part of the trash you see on the streets.

Chinatown battle this problem a few years ago when they did a $1/day program. Hire someone and all they do is all around a pick up liter all day long. It has clean up quite a bit.

[mancat100]

South Philly is the worst. Putrid garbage in the gutters everywhere. It's because people don't want to move their cars. They'd rather live like pigs in a poophole than have their streets cleaned. The city should really force the issue and start ticketing and towing people so the street cleaners can get in there. Let the little pigs squawk.

[rotodome]

Need the street cleaners first, but then yeah.

[Clark Park]

Here in University City we have these guys wearing yellow and green UCD (University City District) jackets who drive around the sidewalks in golf cart sized vacuum cleaner tractors, they vacuum up the debris the college kids leave behind on the sidewalks. They clean the gutters too and sweep up the leaves in autumn. We have more than the usual number or trash cans - not those awful solar powered contraptions that never work! - that are emptied regularly by UCD.

Its good to live near Penn, Drexel, and USP.

[Larry Bowa]

Originally Posted by UK85

Quick question, I know there are much narrower streets than many other major American cities. Also people live in a very close proximity to one another in terms of row homes etc BUT how come we all pay a fair chunk of tax to live and work here but they can't keep it all that clean. Especially down where I am in Bella Vista. So much trash around. Pretty much my biggest gripe with the city thus far

I mean this in the nicest way possible - If it bothers you, clean your street up yourself.

[rotodome]

Hard to get people to move their cars without some higher-up support though.

[mancat100]

Originally Posted by rotodome

Need the street cleaners first, but then yeah.

Yes, true, but I don't notice nearly that much debris in the streets in other non-Center City areas. There's something about South Philly. It's a great area overall, but so dirty.