I agree that these trash haulers are making too much noise and are too early. We wake up to their noise here, too, when they pick up behind apt buildings off Howe/Chapel/Dwight.

I believe the City ordinances allow collections starting @ 5 am in these downtown districts so that these large vehicles can move safely around the city before the streets are active with cars and pedestrians. From a public safety standpoint, that is a greater concern.

I think the public safety argument is bogus: Garbage trucks drive much slower and are less of a threat to other drivers and pedestrians than delivery trucks and school buses, as well as speeding passenger vehicles. Garbage trucks do hold up traffic, but enabling commuters to get to work 5 minutes earlier hardly justifies waking up city residents at 5 am 2-3 times a week. The real issue here is the convenience and profits of the trash hauling companies. At public hearings, they make a big fuss about public safety and traffic, but have no qualms about picking up trash during rush hour when it suits their needs. If public safety was a serious concern, trash pickup would be banned during these times. Rigorously enforcing the noise ordinance would simply shift most of trash pickups to late morning and early afternoon, when there isn't much car or pedestrian traffic. Why should the interests of city residents be trumped by companies and employees from outside the city?

I live in Wooster Sq on St. John St and this morning All American Waste was banging garbage containers at 3:42 AM behind 934 Grand Ave. This problem has been going on for YEARS and the police have and will do NOTHING to stop this. Repeated complaints to the company have done nothing either.

x