A massive pile of trash is spilling onto the Bronx River Greenway, and community members say they have to walk through the eyesore and foul smell.
The trash is located on city-owned land, specifically the Parks Department's Bronx headquarters.
People say the trash has been an issue for years, and after numerous complaints, the area is not improving.
News 12 spoke with people riding bikes and walking through the greenway. People said there are too many rats, the smell is horrible and it looks awful.
Though some did say they just hold their nose while they walk past the lot, and that they believe the Parks Department will do their job to clean it.
News 12 saw rats and dead mice, food remains, old street signs, shopping carts, tires, chairs and more.
While News 12 crews were there, a bulldozer started cleaning up the trash.
News 12 reached out to the Parks Department. A spokesperson released the following statement:
“NYC Parks is committed to keeping our city's parks clean, safe, and attractive for all New Yorkers. The site at Ranaqua is cleared daily and we will work to have the area cleared as soon as possible.
In July of this year, Bronx maintenance and operations teams cleared an average of 227 tons of garbage per week.”
Sources told News 12 the trash is part of a temporary “transloading” location, where trash that’s unable to be picked up by a Parks truck stays.
They say the trash is removed throughout the week, and it piles up sometimes due to the large amount of trash removed by Bronx Parks.
