SAN BENITO — Officials want to know if garbage trucks can cut down on their travel across city streets.
Yesterday, City Manager Manuel De La Rosa met with Republic Services to discuss a proposal that could slash the company’s garbage trucks’ travel in half.
Under its contract, Republic Services picks up residents’ garbage twice a week — on Tuesdays and Fridays.
As in other cities, heavy garbage trucks are being blamed for helping to tear up city streets.
Now, City Commissioner Esteban Rodriguez has proposed a plan in which residents would line their trash cans on one side of the street on Tuesdays and line them on the other side of the street on Fridays.
“I think that alone will save some wear and tear on the streets,” Rodriguez said yesterday.
The proposed plan would also apparently cut garbage trucks’ travel in half.
Under the proposal, trucks would travel one side of the street on Tuesdays and the other side of the street on Fridays.
That reduction in truck travel would help reduce damage to the city’s streets, helping to cut down on repair costs, Rodriguez said.
At a meeting next Tuesday, commissioners are expected to discuss the proposal.
Yesterday, De La Rosa declined to disclose details about his meeting with Republic Services.
“We don’t have the answers yet — if Republic can help us or not,” Rodriguez said. “They’re still going to look at more stuff.”
Last month at a town hall meeting, residents called poor street conditions one of the biggest problems facing the city.
Officials estimate it would cost $6.5 million to repair the city’s streets.
Rodriguez said his proposal is based on residents’ concerns.
At the town hall meeting, resident Ben Cortez said the city could request residents line their garbage cans along one side of the street to prevent trucks from damaging the other side.
In response, a representative of Republic Services told Cortez many residents do not want their garbage cans lined along one side the street.
“I want the public to know if we’re going to do it or not,” Rodriguez said. “I’m trying to find solutions to the problems we have.”
At the town hall meeting, Cortez also proposed restricting garbage trucks to travel through alleys to collect garbage.
But the Republic Services representative said the company’s trucks no longer drive through alleys.
Cortez requested commissioners form a committee to review options aimed at cutting garbage truck travel across the city’s streets.
• Tuesdays — residents line garbage cans on one side of their street
• Fridays — residents line garbage cans on the other side of their street
