Got carts? Renton does and this is what it is doing with them

The City of Renton is trying to improve its curb appeal. Its city council passed a new ordinance to help remove empty shopping carts from streets, bus shelters and other public areas.

“We’ve had complaints from our citizens that shopping carts have been abandoned in places throughout the city. They cause hazards and potential damage to property. And they don’t look good. They look ugly,” said Renton spokesperson Preeti Shridhar.

“Many years ago, we had an ordinance that banned abandoned shopping carts” she said. “We took it a step further. The shop owners are responsible for carts that are abandoned.”

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Neighbors think the empty shopping carts aren’t just an eyesore but also a hazard because the carts can roll out into traffic at any time.

“They’ve been found at the corners of main intersections or by creeks that might have a residential complex nearby … they are found in parking lots, open space areas,” Shridhar said.

So how does the new ordinance keep errant shopping carts off the streets?

Cue the “Bad Boys” theme.

The City of Renton will do sweeps, sending out groups of employees from its Public Works Department to round up the rogue carts and impound them. The store that owns the carts will then be charged $100 per cart. If shops don’t retrieve them, the city will dispose of them.

The city even set up an email for residents to report carts of concern: carts@rentonwa.gov.

The ordinance took effect April 11. There is currently a grace period until May 11 for shop owners to learn about the new fine. With only two shopping cart sweeps under its belt, Renton has impounded a total of 43 carts — 20 during the first sweep and 23 during the second.

Dyer Oxley contributed to this article

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