There a certain areas of downtown Buffalo that have a reputation for being a bit dirty. After this year’s first ever Grant Street Cleanup, it was evident to local leaders something had to be done about the litter. Now, an anti-litter campaign is being implemented in an effort to help clean up Grant Street.
How do you get such a diverse area of Buffalo on the same page? 48 street signs will be posted in English, Spanish, and Burmese and local businesses will be given brooms and dustpans to keep their storefronts cleaner.
Assemblyman Sean Ryan said after seeing the amount of litter cleaned up by volunteers earlier in the year at the Grant Street Cleanup, he realized he needed a more sustainable solution.
“Between the business owners and the residents, one of the issues everyone identified as a problem is litter,” said Ryan. “It really is a wind tunnel on Grant Street. A lot of garbage cans overflow. It becomes a real problem.”
Ryan said they are working with the city to implement additional features to the campaign.
“We’re trying to work with the city to get recycling bins out there,” said Ryan. “Right now we’re trying to get more trash cans up and then we’re fixing the signs on the lamp posts above the trash cans in other areas.”
Buffalo Common Council Majority Leader David Rivera says with all of the foot traffic that comes through the area, keeping Grant clean is a vital issue.
Over the summer, officials will be going block by block to see if there is a noticeable decrease in the amount of litter.
