Community Groups Raise Money And Clean Up Neighborhoods With Tire Round-Up Program
By Molly Daly
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Philadelphia Streets Department kicked off its six-week Tire Round-Up Program Saturday. The effort gives community groups an opportunity to raise money while cleaning up their neighborhoods.
The city's motivated by more than beautification. Illegally dumped tires offer mosquitos and rodents a great place to breed. They're also highly flammable, so getting them off the streets eliminates a substantial health threat.
On first glance, the collection point in Logan didn't look like much: a brightly painted trash truck parked at 18th and Windrim, with about 5 guys waiting in the leafy shade. But within minutes, a passenger car pulled up, loaded with tires, inside and out. Mary Jane Fullam of East Falls Town Watch was at the wheel.
"Every tire we get 50 cents. At the end of the summer they tally up how many tires you brought, and they give you half of the number so like, if you bring a thousand tires, they give you five hundred bucks." said Fullam. "That's the maximum, which we sometimes achieve, I don't know if we'll make that this year."
As the crew flung the tires into the truck's hopper, one man clicked a tally counter. The total after just five hours was impressive.
"Almost 4 thousand tires."
How does moving tires compare to Kris Brown's regular gig with the Streets Department?
"Oh, this is a cakewalk right here, picking up tires!" said Brown. "Now, when I do my Monday through Friday, now that's hard work. That's straight manual labor all day long. Trash, recycling, beds, dressers, drawers, all types of stuff: now that's heavy."
Registration is required, and it's limited to organized community, civic, and non-profit organizations. The drop-off limit is 1,000 tires.
Every Saturday up to and including August 15th, from 9am to 3pm, tires will be collected at two different sites.
July 18: 26th Street and Sedgley Street , 3rd Street and Allegheny Avenue
July 25: Torresdale Avenue and Ashburner Street , Pennway Street and St. Vincent Street
August 1: 4th Street and Washington Avenue, 25th Street and Washington Avenue
August 8: 51st Street and Woodland Avenue, 49th Street and Parkside Avenue
August 15: Palethorp Street and Ashdale Street, Delaware Avenue and Wheatsheaf Lane
For more information, call the Customer Affairs Unit at 215-686-5560.