Trash pickup may move to street

Spokane city officials said last week that garbage pickups in some South Side neighborhoods soon may be converted from alleys to streets.

Last week, garbage pickups in several North Side areas were converted from alley to street pickups.

Residents in the Corbin Park and Emerson-Garfield areas have been protesting the change, which affects about 2,000 customers.

City officials said the change is being made to accommodate tall trucks with automated pickup arms.

Marlene Feist, spokeswoman for the city, said the Solid Waste Department is evaluating alley pickup routes on the South Side and may convert some of them to street pickups.

However, she said not all alley pickups will be switched. Only alleys that have tight spaces for turning and maneuvering will be converted, she said. One issue involves overhead clearance for the automated truck arms.

“There are still a few (alleys) we think work,” she said.

Feist did not identify areas on the South Side that might be converted. She also did not give an estimate of the number of customers who would be affected.

However, she said, there are fewer potential conversions on the South Side compared with the changes last week on the North Side.

In Corbin Park, city officials have agreed to pay for pruning trees along the streets to avoid damage from street-side garbage collection. The city is going to use semiautomated trucks for a few weeks until the pruning is done, Feist said.