How Philadelphia’s New Twice-a-Week Trash Collection Works
Plus, crime does pay if you're a Philly politician.
Philadelphia trash collection expands to twice a week in certain neighborhoods. (Photo via City of Philadelphia)
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How Philadelphia’s New Twice-a-Week Trash Collection Works
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker wants to clean up this city, forever eschewing the Filthadelphia moniker. Well, I don’t know that we’ll ever shed the Filthadelphia thing. I mean, it’s legit catchy. Regardless, Parker is serious.
Over the summer, she sent out crews to clean up every single block in the city. Crews disposed of trash. They removed abandoned cars. They painted over graffiti. And they scrubbed dirt and grime from the sidewalks. It wasn’t perfect. But an A for effort.
Now, the Parker administration has announced that trucks will pick up your trash twice a week instead of one — depending on where you live.
The new twice-a-week trash collection pilot programs kicks off on Monday, December 2nd for all residences between Callowhill Street and Pattison Avenue and Delaware Avenue (yes, Columbus Boulevard in parts) and the Schuylkill Expressway. So, basically, the vast majority of South Philly and then Center City, Old City, et cetera. The map shows you the way:
Map courtesy City of Philadelphia
If your normal trash collection day is on Monday, they’ll now pick up your trash on Monday and Thursday. Tuesday pickups get Friday added. If you’re a Wednesday pickup, they’re adding Saturday. Thursday gets a second pickup on Monday. And, I’m guessing you see the pattern here but… Friday pickups enjoy a second pickup on Tuesday. In the event of a city-observed holiday, your normal day gets bumped by a day, as it always has, and there’s no second pickup.
As for your recycling, crews will only pick that up on your normal trash day. Undoubtedly, thousands of Philadelphia households will put their recycling out on both days. Because after all these years, we still haven’t properly figured out recycling.
Don’t live in one of those neighborhoods? Parker’s office says you can expect more two-days-a-week trash collection in Philadelphia starting next fall.
About That SEPTA Strike…
Yesterday, I warned you that not one but two SEPTA strikes could happen at any time, with one union’s contract having expired earlier this month and another’s expiring at 11:59 p.m. last night. Well… no SEPTA strike. Yet. Negotiations continue. Fingers crossed. (And not only because I’ll pretty much be forced to drive my son every day for college if both of these strikes happen.)
Things That Make You Go Hmmmm….
Does Center City really need a jazz club with ping pong tables and “Philly-inspired bar food,” all conceived of by some guy from New York City? Philly Mag restaurant critic Jason Sheehan seems highly skeptical.
Searching for Future Opera Stars In South Philly
You probably know Jennifer Weiner as the bestselling novelist from Queen Village. But it turns out Weiner is also a big opera fan. And so she set out for Settlement Music School last week to check out a Metropolitan Opera competition. Check out her report here.
By the Numbers
$21 million: Cost of renovations to the just-reopened Vare Recreation Center in Grays Ferry. That includes a full-sized indoor basketball gym, a fully-equipped gymnastics center, and a state-of-the-art computer lab with the only fiber optic internet connection of any rec center in the city. If you’re wondering where all that money came from, you can largely thank the much-loathed soda tax. Take that, Jeff Brown! (Remember him?)
0: Number of undated or misdated mail-in ballots from the recent election that Pennsylvania counties are allowed to count. That’s thanks to a new ruling from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. And if you’re thinking to yourself: Wait, I thought the election was over… the McCormick vs. Casey recount is not.
3: Number of former Philadelphia elected officials who went on to become convicted of crimes and who now have taxpayer-funded jobs working for the city. You know, sometimes bad things really do happen in Philadelphia. For more on the sometimes amusing history of corrupt and allegedly corrupt politicians in Philadelphia’s storied past, read this.
Local Talent
Quakertown native Sabrina Carpenter, who’s nominated for the same number of Grammys as Taylor Swift is this year, appears to be trying to channel some of that Christmas-is-a-goldmine business savvy demonstrated by Mariah Carey. Sabrina has her own musical Christmas special coming out on Netflix. A Nonsense Christmas will stream beginning at 6 p.m. on December 6th. Among the guest stars? Philly’s own Quinta Brunson. Well, I’m sure it won’t be watched by as many people as that Tyson vs. Paul thing. But at least it will be more entertaining. Well, hopefully. Here’s the trailer.
