New trash cans unveiled in Belmont in effort to quell rodent problem
The new trash cans are part of the city's plan to get garbage bags off of sidewalks and bring full citywide trash containerization by the end of 2031.
More Stories
The sight of big black trash bags on the sidewalk will soon be a thing of the past.
"I feel like on every street, you'll see some kind of trash on the ground," said Belmont resident Karen Castillo.
That's exactly what the city is trying to get rid of as it unveils these new containers for trash.
"They're durable. They're lockable. Most importantly, they're rodent-resistant," said Greg Anderson, the city's Department of Sanitation commissioner.
It's all part of continued efforts that started back during the Eric Adams administration to have zero trash bags on the street. Since then, more communities have been adopting new trash containerization, with the Belmont Improvement District, or Belmont BID, one of the latest.
"When you leave bags out in the open, there's a better chance of a rat penetrating through the bag, and this looks very nice, this looks very clean," said Rafael Rodriguez II, the owner of local business Unchin Chin.
While more than 80% of travelers to the area arrive by car, it was important for the BID that parking spaces were not taken.
"If you look at where they all are, there are places that made sense for us for our cleaning guys to not walk a mile, ,and no curb space was taken," said Peter Madonia, chairman of Belmont BID.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani says he plans to bring full citywide trash containerization by the end of 2031.
