Plazas with garbage everywhere - how to clean it up? (Weston)

[tendim]

I've lived in Weston all my life but have recently started taking the bus more often in an attempt to become greener. In the process I have a certain route I walk in the morning to get to my bus stop atJane and Lawrence. On the north-west corner of Jane & Lawrence is a plaza that is absolutely littered with garbage! I called the city on Monday to clean up the sidewalk, and where I can see they cleaned it up there is new garbage everywhere.

I understand this is a two part problem. (1) the people that walk this strip simply don't care and just throw their garbage on the ground. But (2), the plaza itself doesn't maintain anything. I'm pretty sure that most of the garbage left in unmarked black bags is from local businesses and their patrons throwing trash down.

Does anyone know if a process exists to have the city step in and do something? I'm not sure because technically isn't the plaza/parking lot private property, so they can maintain it as they see fit? But on the other hand it brings down the quality of the neighbourhood of Weston, of which this is the "east facing side". I've been skimming the Weston thread in the Neighbourhoods forum (interesting read) and I'm glad to see that there is some talk about the neighbourhood, so I'm not alone here!

Thanks for any input.
-10d

 

[fiendishlibrarian]

Based on my experience, here's what you need to do:

1) 311@toronto.ca

2) Take pictures (safely, of course). Document, document, document.

3) Hound your councillor.

4) http://www.toronto.ca/licensing/enforcement.htm

5) Quote chapter and verse from: http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/municode/1184_548.pdf

The main problem here is that starting around mid-November the city lays off scores of outdoor workers, including litter crews, with the odd assumption that the city gets dumped on by snow starting on Remembrance Day. So the result is that until January or so, we're forced to endure a city that gets increasingly dirty, with little to no cleaning taking place, hence the necessity to do the above steps.

 

[Redroom Studios]

I dont live in the area, but this is a general pet peeve of mine. People are so uncaring and apathetic about their surroundings and in some respects its contageous. If the plaza made an effort to clean up they'd probably be setting an example and have fewer repeat offenders. It really baffles me how people can be so lazy and ruin their own immediate environment like this...

good luck. if all of the above fails you could always try a US style shooting spree. Make sure to carry a neatly typed letter outlining your motives in your coat pocket.

 

[Towered]

Poor Weston - it has so much potential to be a model node far from downtown that is dense and urban, yet it continues to flounder in a sadly dilapidated state.

 

[tendim]

Thanks for all the tips!

Based on my experience, here's what you need to do:

Thanks for all the tips. You say, "based on your experience", what kinds of things have you seen, have the above methods been very successful? What kind of turnaround have you been seeing?

1) 311@toronto.ca

2) Take pictures (safely, of course). Document, document, document.

I planned on taking a small digital camera with me on my way to work now so I can take pictures in the morning (less people, and less risk of potential (angry) confrontation). Do you keep the images yourself, or send them off to 311@toronto.ca?

3) Hound your councillor.

What about the city counselor? Is it simply a phone call to start, or are there processes ("hoops") to jump through?


Thanks,
-10d

 

[DSC]

What about the city counselor? Is it simply a phone call to start, or are there processes ("hoops") to jump through?

You can phone or email your Councillor, some are very responsive, others less so. See: http://app.toronto.ca/im/council/councillors.jsp

 

[drone]

I drive by that plaza everyday, and for the last ten years it's looked that way. I think it's the plaza itself that needs to invest in a dumpster. It makes the area look terrible

 

[fiendishlibrarian]

"Thanks for all the tips. You say, "based on your experience", what kinds of things have you seen, have the above methods been very successful? What kind of turnaround have you been seeing?"

I've gotten a lot of things done, let's put it that way. Wouldn't want to go further than that.

What I *can* say is that being vigilant and persistent helps. A lot. And knowing where to find key information, but that's what I do for a living.