Four years after the MTA tested a pilot program removing trash bins at some subway stations, the agency says passengers are doing what the plan intended -- taking their trash above ground -- and it intends to continue the program.
Transit officials said the program, instituted in 2011, has cut down on garbage by up to 66 percent at the dozens of stations where trash bins were removed. It's also reduced the rat problem.
But many riders disagree and keep looking for some place to throw their waste.
"Most people will drop their trash on the floor," said Cathy Brown. "It's nasty. They should have a receptable to put our trash."
"I don't think it's any cleaner," said Rachel Wong.
The MTA said it appears counterintuitive but insists the program is working. It's trying to reduce the subway rodent population and the amount of refuse pick-up in the stations.
The MTA says it has more trash than it can handle at its 468 subway stations.
