From the Denverite , Rebecca Tauber, September 15 2022

The new trucks don’t fit in some spaces – like Congress Park alleys, for example. So, the city moved pickup from narrower alleys to the streets. But a lot of residents don’t like that.

Has your fence ever been dinged by a trash truck? Or maybe your garage was sideswiped?

You’re not alone. So far this year, the city has paid out over $63,000 for 35 claims brought by residents across the city over damage done by garbage trucks. Denver has tried to lower that cost by moving trash pickup from narrow alleys to the streets in Congress Park so workers can use their new automated trucks, which are too big for some alleys but safer for workers. Now, some in the neighborhood say this is clogging up the streets and harder on residents.

The change from alleys to streets in some parts of Congress Park took effect in 2021, without much advance notice from the city, affecting alleys from Detroit Street to Colorado Boulevard and Seventh Avenue to Colfax.

While it’s been a year since the change, residents are still upset, and Congress Park Neighbors, Inc held a town hall last month with Councilman Chris Hinds.

People opposing the year-old change say bins are clogging narrow two-way streets and bike lanes, and taking up parking, especially around local schools. For older people and people with disabilities, dragging bins farther to the street can be a challenge, and in a survey by Congress Park Neighbors Inc, some residents said they sustained injuries from dragging their bins.

Others expressed support for the change, noting that the bins on the street made the alleys cleaner.

Hinds, who represents Congress Park, joined residents at the town hall in August, and has been gathering feedback from residents. He said he gets daily emails and calls from people about the new trash collection system, and is meeting with the sanitation department to explore next steps.

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