Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Buenos Aires

Eyes on the Street: Keeping Trash Off the Sidewalks in Buenos Aires

Photo: Clarence Eckerson Jr.
Trash on the street in Buenos Aires ...
Photo: Clarence Eckerson Jr.

Clarence Eckerson has been following our #sidewalkhogs competition while in South America. He sends this photo from Buenos Aires.

"Not only have I seen very few cars parked on sidewalks," writes Clarence, "there are hundreds of spaces in the city where trash pick up is located in the street in what were once parking spaces."

This is a logical alternative to the piles of garbage that obstruct and stink up city sidewalks, attracting vermin and even endangering pedestrians. How nice it would be if NYC, where so many people can barely conceive of using street space for anything other than automobile storage, could get behind it.

Maybe Clarence can find out if these bins require community board approval.

… and NYC. Photos: Clarence Eckerson Jr. and ##https://www.flickr.com/photos/ascentstage/8811078813##John Tolva/Flickr##
… and NYC. Photos: Clarence Eckerson Jr. and ##https://www.flickr.com/photos/ascentstage/8811078813##John Tolva/Flickr##
… and NYC. Photos: Clarence Eckerson Jr. and ##https://www.flickr.com/photos/ascentstage/8811078813##John Tolva/Flickr##

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Queens Pol Trolls Her Own Constituents From Her Ticket-Covered Lincoln As They March For Car-Free Parks

Queens Council Member Joann Ariola mocked her own constituents in an "adolescent" and "antagonistic" move just because some people want a car-free park.

February 9, 2026

Snow Problem: Can New York City Handle Big Winter Storms Anymore?

There are eight million people in the big city. And 32 million opinions on the Mamdani administration's response to its first snow crisis.

February 9, 2026

Video: Another Way The Snow Reveals Our Misallocation of Public Space

New Yorkers barely use their cars and, instead, use them to seize public space.

February 9, 2026

Monday’s Headlines: Bureaucratic Morass Edition

Restaurants hoping to set up in the city's open streets hit a bureaucratic snag — but DOT said a solution is coming. Plus more news.

February 9, 2026

Andy Byford’s ‘Trump Card’ On Penn Station Keeps Wrecking New York’s Infrastructure Projects

What will become of the Amtrak executive's plans for Penn Station under President Trump?

February 6, 2026

FLASHBACK: What Happened To Car-Free ‘Snow Routes’ — And Could They Have Helped City Clear the Streets?

Remember those bright red signs that banned parking from snow emergency routes? Here is the curious story of how New York City abandoned a key component of its snow removal system.

February 6, 2026
See all posts