[10th and B]
Last week, workers placed new solar-powered, Big Belly trash cans in and around Tompkins Square Park as part of the city's $32-million plan to combat vermin in rat-popular neighborhoods, like this one.
Per the city:
The City will purchase 336 solar compactors that restrict access to trash with a “mail-box” opening and that have resulted in 90% rat reductions when fully deployed in concentrated areas. The City will also replace all the remaining wire waste baskets in the zones with 1,676 steel cans — both in parks and on street corners — which should meaningfully reduce rats’ access to food sources compared to current wire baskets.
However effective, they're no match for someone who decides to dump contents from their apartment at their mail-box opening...
While there are more of the new Big Belly trash cans deployed inside the Park, it may be a good idea to put several of them at key entry points, such as Avenue A and St. Mark's Place, alongside the Big Belly 1.0, which can be overmatched ...
and Avenue A at Ninth Street...
Still, the squirrels seem to like them...