That's an excellent and very practical question! From my observations and conversations with urban planners, the most common and popular size for a permanent trash bin on a downtown street corner tends to be in the 30 to 50-gallon (approximately 110 to 190-liter) capacity range.
You'll typically see sturdy, rectangular metal or heavy-duty plastic bins of this size bolted to the sidewalk. Why this range? It strikes a crucial balance. A 30-50 gallon bin is large enough to handle the high foot traffic of a corner location—catching coffee cups, takeout containers, and other litter from pedestrians—without becoming so oversized that it obstructs the sidewalk or is too heavy for sanitation crews to empty efficiently multiple times per day.
Smaller bins (like 20-gallon models) often can't keep up with the volume and overflow quickly, leading to litter scatter. Much larger commercial bins (like 60+ gallons) are usually reserved for specific high-volume spots like outside a food court or for rear-of-building service, not general public street corners.
The exact choice within that 30-50 gallon window depends on the specific corner's pedestrian density, proximity to food vendors, and collection frequency. Many cities are now standardizing on models around 40 gallons for main street corners, as it offers a good daily capacity while maintaining a neat, unobtrusive profile. The key is frequent emptying; the perfect size is useless if it's not serviced often enough.