MTA to Clean Up Trash Near Subway

The new Red Line subway station has brought more than just people to the area.

Discarded shopping bags, soda cans and fast-food containers lie strewn at a city bus stop near the entrance to the station.

Litter is common at the more than 18,500 bus stops in Los Angeles County, said Ed Scannel, Metropolitan Transportation Authority spokesman. But increased foot traffic generated by the subway station has made the mess at the stop worse, he said.

Because bus stops are owned by the cities in which they are located, their upkeep is traditionally the cities’ responsibility.

“Generally, it is the responsibility of the adjacent property owner to keep the sidewalk free of litter,” said Pete Serdienis, head of the MTA’s Stops and Zones department. “Seeing as this is adjacent to our new rail facility at the North Hollywood station, the MTA is responsible for keeping the sidewalk free of litter.”

The MTA will order trash cans to be placed in the area, Serdienis said. In addition, a cleanup crew will be dispatched.

“While we don’t own these stops, our buses do service them,” Scannel said. “Because of that, we take a great deal of pride in making these stops as friendly as we can make them.”