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MTA removes bins hoping to reduce trash – Metro US

MTA removes bins hoping to reduce trash

Forget the trash — the MTA is taking out the cans.

Transit officials launched a pilot program two weeks ago to remove trash receptacles from the platforms of two subway stations.

The Eighth Street N,R stop and the Main Street stop on the 7 line will be free of trash cans for the next two months to test if it reduces the amount of rubbish.

The transit agency is testing the effectiveness of a “carry in, carry out” policy for garbage, similar to that of the PATH system, Tom Prendergast, the head of NYC Transit, said yesterday.

But many riders dismissed the MTA’s idea.

“We need trash cans in stations,” said software developer Sam Napolitano, 30, who works near the Eighth Street N,R stop. “Otherwise, people will throw trash on the ground.”

“If there’s trash on the ground, there will be more rats,” Nadjeda Estriplet, 23, a student at NYU said. “What if trash gets thrown on the tracks and catches fire?”

Currently, eight refuse trains traverse the tracks to pick up trash from 359 stations per evening. Less rubbish would require fewer trains, explained Gaito, but nobody is committed to the idea yet.

“It’s just an experiment,” said Gaito. “If it’s successful, we’d look to branching it out.”

Two possible solutions, he said, would be to remove trash bins from the system entirely, or remove bins at stations with low ridership.

Pulling into the station: More L trains next year

L-train riders, rejoice: More trains are headed straight to your station.

Beginning next summer, the MTA will increase subway service on the sorely-needed L line.

The MTA will add 16 trains to weekday service schedules. On the weekends, 11 trains will be added to Saturday’s service and seven to Sunday’s.

Riders on the popular line have repeatedly complained of crowded, infrequent and delayed trains.

“It’s wall-to-wall people,” said Alison Gartner, 35, a graphic designer who lives off the Graham stop. “We’re trapped; we don’t have any other way home.”

State Sen. Daniel Squadron called out the MTA last month, demanding more service. He pointed to the fact that L-train ridership has increased by 141 percent since 1998.

L-train cars are currently packed to 110 percent capacity during morning commutes and 122 percent capacity during evening rush hour, according to MTA statistics.

6 train derails

Subway riders endured delays on the 4, 5 and 6 trains in both directions during yesterday’s morning rush, after an uptown-bound 6 train derailed just before 4 a.m. There were no injuries reported in the derailment, which happened at the Brooklyn Bridge/City Hall station. Two cars on the train derailed and the subway was carrying 19 riders at the time. The cause of the derailment is under investigation.

Bus driver attacks up

Attacks on MTA bus drivers are up 20 percent, according to a Daily News analysis of MTA data. Attacks are on the rise compared to last year and there are seven attacks on bus drivers every month, the paper found. Drivers blame supervisors, who tell them to confront passengers who don’t pay the fare, resulting in dangerous disputes.

Follow Emily Anne Epstein on Twitter @EmilyatMetro.