Boston looking for creative ways to put lid on piles of trash
BOSTON - Boston City leaders are looking for new ways to put a lid on all the trash bags piling up on sidewalks, attracting an alarming number of rats.
"They just come scurrying through, and I'm terrified of them, and I scream," said Ann Heimlicher, who lives in the Back Bay.
"They're big," said Louie Comeau, who manages an apartment building in the Back Bay. "Small cat," he said holding out his hands to show the size.
The problem is apartment residents in Boston are instructed to put out their trash in bags on the morning of their pick-up day. "You're not allowed to leave them out at night, but everybody does," said resident Addie Forster. "You go in the morning, and you see the little bite marks, and there's food and glass everywhere," she said.
Boston City Councilors are considering several solutions. One would have bins installed on street corners that would unlock once a week on the day of trash pick-up. Another idea goes back to a system Boston used 100 years ago, when residents threw trash down chutes leading to underground containers where it was stored until pick-up.
The council is planning a public hearing, with no date set yet. They are inviting the public to bring up new ideas for containing trash, especially in areas where there isn't enough space for barrels.
