Union Pacific railroad company is responsible for cleaning up the massive, stinking trash heap alongside the D Line that caught the attention of one light rail rider.
The D Line is one of the Regional Transportation District's light rail lines, part of the metro area's sprawling rail system.
Carrie Turrentine, an Englewood resident who regularly rides the train, said she’s watched the pile grow week after week for more than a year.
“The amount of garbage in that particular area… I’m disturbed by,” Turrentine said. “It’s not going away, and in fact, I think it’s getting much worse.”
Turrentine asked 9Wants to Know about the cost to the city and, by extension to taxpayers, to clean up urban campgrounds and the garbage, human waste and other hazardous materials left behind when “surrounding issues of homelessness” are not addressed.
“I would really like to know what the end game is because as a taxpayer who definitely wants to be considerate and compassionate about things like homelessness, mental illness and drug addiction, at the end of the day, I’m the one being charged for moving large amounts of garbage, and so I’m the one asking how I can prevent that bill from continuing to arrive at my doorstep,” Turrentine said.
Denver Public Works spends about $1 million a year removing trash from public right of ways, including public streets, alleys and sidewalks, according to Heather Burke, a spokesperson for the agency.
The “cleanups” for illegal dumps include trash piles at homeless encampments Burke said, but the city does not track specific amounts related to homelessness.
Burke said the primary work done by the cleanup crew occurs on weekdays, and is focused on several areas around the city including near Park Avenue West and Lawrence Street, I-70 and Madison, among other locations.
Burke said the cleanup crews work with the Denver Police Homeless Outreach Team and the Street Outreach Team funded by Denver’s Road Home to connect people to resources like health care and housing.
Denver Public Works does not have permission to enter private property to remove trash. Instead, companies are responsible for removing trash left near urban campsites on private property.
The specific trash pile Turrentine noticed from the light rail is not located on a public right of way, but is on UP property. “We have had an issue with trash and homelessness in the past, and we deeply appreciate this being brought to our attention,” said Kristen South, UP spokesperson. “For us, this is more of a safety concern any time someone is near the tracks. It’s not something we could really put a price-tag on.”
South said the railroad is sending out a contractor to remove the garbage immediately and expects it will be removed by Monday.
