Going Green Meets Gridlock: Recyclers Paralyze 16th St.

"It took an event that was always popular and just overwhelmed it," said Tangherlini, who waited more than an hour himself to drop off old paint, computers and a car battery he collected from neighbors.

After conferring by phone with Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) early yesterday afternoon, officials decided to extend the scheduled 3 p.m. closing time to accommodate everyone in line.

Tangherlini also said that the city will open its Benning Road trash transfer station in Northeast Washington next weekend for those who didn't get a chance to drop off materials. He said the city is also finalizing plans to make the Benning Road facility and the Fort Totten Trash Transfer Station available for drop-off on alternating weekends.

"There was a lot of good intention and well-meaning out there today. We hope we didn't turn people off from doing the right thing," Tangherlini said. "The worst thing would be that, out of frustration, people put this stuff in the regular waste stream."

Herb Linnen, a retiree who lives in Northwest, said he "took a U turn" after about 40 minutes of waiting to drop off some computers. City employees did what they could to direct traffic, he said. "They had their hands full. It was a lot of brake-screeching and people-hollering."

By afternoon, D.C. Department of Transportation officials were on hand to help direct traffic. By then, the situation was just about hopeless, with side streets also jammed. People with no connection to the event were among those trapped in the congestion, including many stuck at bus stops trying to get downtown.

The scene inside the park was equally chaotic, with multiple soccer matches taking place on the fields surrounding the recycling drop-off. After idling for hours, some cars nearly ran out of gas.

Walking wasn't an option for everyone. Some recyclers had pickup beds full of old computers, paint and televisions.

Wilma Cross put her car in neutral for most of her two-hour wait. "I'm frustrated it's taken this long," she said. "But I'm willing to wait to dispose it properly."

Carroll Muffett lived close enough to walk and decided to do just that after it took him more than 15 minutes to drive two blocks on 16th Street. "This is astoundingly disorganized," he said. "For a city this size, to do this once a year in one neighborhood makes no sense."

Muffett hauled batteries, a phone, a microwave and toaster in a wheelbarrow. Meanwhile, his enterprising 9-year-old, Kate, opened a lemonade stand.

She offered curbside service at 50 cents a cup. In less than an hour, she sold $25 worth.

Staff writer Jillian S. Jarrett contributed to this report.