New cleanup units will soon roll out on Fort Worth streets to address the city’s litter problem.
The Fort Worth City Council approved the purchase of 12 new street sweepers during its latest meeting on March 21.
This new purchase will cost Fort Worth taxpayers $3.75 million.
City officials said that these new units will be used to remove refuse and litter from the city’s “arterials, thoroughfares, and commercial corridor.”
“They also play an integral role in upholding the City’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) Permit, which details the City’s efforts in preventing litter and debris from entering the local watersheds from runoff,” said city officials in council documents.
“We probably needed 20 but in order to get to 20, we would have had to put a higher rate to our citizens through their environmental fees. Even higher than what we raised it to,” said Brandon Bennett, Fort Worth’s code compliance director, according to NBC 5 DFW.
“We also know that over time, litter is a lot like graffiti. If you leave litter out, it just attracts more litter. But if you can get it cleaned up and keep it cleaned up, then a lot of these areas will stay cleaner longer,” he continued.
Bennet said that while two of these units will act as replacements for ones currently in use, the remaining 10 will be new additions.
The city previously launched a survey as a public forum for citizens to address the city’s issues with cleanliness last year, according to the Fort Worth Report. These surveys indicated that citizens wanted a greater response to the city’s litter issues.
“Litter in Fort Worth is quite frustrating right now. I feel like there’s more litter than I’ve ever seen in the city,” said Laurie Stelljes, vice chair of the Greater Fort Worth Sierra Club and board member for Keep Fort Worth Beautiful, according to the Fort Worth Report.
“But the city has really ambitious and good plans for helping with the Trinity River,” she continued.
The new units are expected to hit the city’s streets by the end of this year.
From the above article, it is interesting to note that “litter attracts litter”.
I think the same contagion applies to other sectors, including “fads” or “beliefs”.