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Residents press Cranston for more frequent bike-path cleanup; city points to larger-item pickups and partnerships
Summary
A resident raised concerns that litter on the Cranston bike path is not being collected three times a week as the administration had stated; Parks staff said crews collect large items more frequently, Hope Church and other volunteers have aided cleanup, and the city will pursue additional trucks and summer help.
A Cranston resident told the Public Works committee May 15 that litter along the city’s bike path is not being collected three times a week as an administration response had stated, and asked the city to step up maintenance.
Robert Ferry, who said he lives on Cranston Street, told the committee the bike path is used by thousands on weekends and that he had photographed months of accumulated litter. Ferry said a recent Herald article and city comments had suggested frequent pickup, but he and other residents see far less regular maintenance.
Parks and Recreation staff responded that crews have been on the bike path at least twice weekly and sometimes three times weekly to remove large items—mattresses, tires, strollers and other bulky debris. The director said some cleanups are focused on large items rather than everyday litter and that volunteer groups, including Hope Church and the YMCA, have conducted substantial pickups. The director said the recent Hope Church effort removed roughly 160 bags of trash and required three dump-truck loads plus a pickup truck of additional material.
Council members said the bike path has improved in recent weeks but requested clearer information on maintenance responsibilities and funding. A council member asked whether the state or the city is responsible for maintenance costs; the director said an intergovernmental agreement covers the bike path and that, as the director understood it, the state is responsible for the first $10,000 of certain costs and the city covers overages, but the director said they would need to research the written agreement to confirm details.
Council members and staff discussed additional steps: ordering a second garbage truck (staff said a truck can be ordered July 1), hiring six to eight seasonal workers to assist with litter pickup and routine grounds work, and exploring partnerships with probation/community-service programs and juvenile hearing board participants for supervised volunteer labor. Staff and council also noted that cameras are not currently deployed in problem areas to trace illegal dumping.
No formal policy change was made; staff said they would research the state–city agreement, monitor maintenance schedules and pursue additional labor and equipment options.
