Sanitation workers clean up from the New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square

ByEyewitness News WABC logo
Tuesday, January 1, 2019
Sanitation workers clean up from New Year's Eve in Times Square
Derick Waller reports on the big cleanup in Times Square after New Year's Eve.

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN (WABC) -- After revelers headed home from the big New Year's Eve bash, an army of sanitation employees moved in to clean up Times Square.

The New York City sanitation department says it had 300 people at work overnight, removing an estimated 56 tons of debris.

Workers were also taking down the stages, lights and cameras set up for the event.

Some streets remained closed Tuesday morning to allow the crews to continue their work.

"New Year's Eve in New York City brings not only millions of people to the Times Square area, but also tons of debris," said Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia. "Thanks to a small army of Sanitation employees, every last piece of confetti will be quickly cleared away."

The cleanup crews used 52 collection trucks, 30 mechanical brooms,12 rack trucks, 5 haulsters, 58 back pack blowers, and 58 hand brooms, the sanitation department said.

Throngs of soggy revelers greeted 2019 after a rainy night in Times Square.

Many of the people in the crowd spent nearly half the day in chilly rain waiting for the ball drop.

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