Trash Trail in Santa Barbara Sparks Complaints, Gets Action
A trail of trash and graffiti has caught the eye of an avid walker, and after complaints there’s been a clean up by the city.
Author and humorist Ashleigh Brilliant contacted NewsChannel 3 and walked us into an area below the Micheltorena foot bridge. It was strewn with liter, clothing and unsightly items including used diapers.
Some of it appeared to be thrown there either from the bridge or over the fence. Trash was also in the shrubs.
Brilliant says he bought a special grabber called The Gopher at the Home Improvement Center in Santa Barbara to help clean the area, but it was too much work for the 79-year old. He called the area, “disgusting.”
Brilliant also said it was unsafe for children. “You wouldn’t want any child playing around here. It must be full of germs and diseases and all kinds of contamination. It’s unhealthy and a danger to the community, also a fire hazard I would think.”
The Santa Barbara City Environmental Services Division responded to a NewsChannel 3 inquiry about the area, and a crew came out to clean up the trash. They also work closely with Marborg Industries to pick up large items that are often left on the street including couches and dressers.
By late afternoon the trail and a nearby hillside were no longer covered with debris.
On October 12th the city says there will be a cleanup effort on the westside for all streets, trails, creeks and areas where there’s illegal dumping.
