New, Improved Street Sweeping Program Begins March 1

March 1, 2011 is the first day of the new, expanded street sweeping program to encompass more residential neighborhoods. DPW conducted a study of the sweeping program and found that rerouting the sweepers would increase efficiency and allow us to increase the number of streets we can sweep regularly. Another plus of the new program is that it has a specific start date – March 1 (barring any snow) – and end date – October 31 – each year. And that information is on the signs so that everyone knows when parking restrictions will be in effect.

In neighborhoods where signs advise motorists of parking restrictions during weekly sweeping hours, parking enforcement will begin Monday, March 21, 2011. This will allow residents and others to become accustomed to moving their cars again, especially since street sweeping days and/or times changed for some neighborhoods.

In residential neighborhoods where there are no signs identifying parking restrictions, sweeping will occur twice a month.

General Street, Alley Cleaning and Litter Can Collection Information
DPW cleans residential and arterial streets using mechanical sweepers of various sizes. The most prevalent type of sweeper used is equipped with License Plate Recognition System (LPRS) technology and is known as Sweepercam. Between March and October, these sweepers operate along residential streets where signs are posted restricting parking during street sweeping hours. In 2009, DPW began using Sweepercam to improve parking enforcement so the sweepers can clean effectively. Photographs are taken of each vehicle parked during street sweeping hours and motorists are mailed a $30 ticket. Smaller, golf cart-size sweepers, known as litter vacs, are used to vacuum litter from gutters and sidewalks in commercial areas.

DPW uses larger sweepers for sweeping District freeways and main arterials. These sweepers operate year-round depending on the temperature.

How You Can Help

• Pick up the litter and trash in your alley and around your property, rather than sweeping these items into the gutter to eventually end up in one of the District’s rivers.
• Residential property owners are responsible for maintaining the sidewalks and tree box spaces around their property. Commercial property owners are responsible for the public space around their property up to 18 inches from the curb into the street.
• Use the street litter and recycling cans as you walk along the District’s commercial streets. The litter cans are for pedestrian trash only, not household trash.
• Avoid a street sweeping ticket by obeying the parking (No Parking Street Cleaning) signs along residential streets. Eighty percent of the residents of these streets signed petitions pledging to move their cars so sweeping would be effective.
• Overnight scheduled sweeping of the District’s major roadways occurs year-round, weather permitting. Motorists are urged to obey the signs when parking in these areas during the posted overnight sweeping hours.
• To obtain street and alley cleaning services, call 311.

Just the Facts

• The signed, residential, weekly street sweeping program operates in densely-populated neighborhoods with high-volume pedestrian traffic. Residential streets where there are no parking restriction signs are swept twice a month and cars do not need to be moved.
• Mechanical residential street sweeping is suspended during the winter because the sweepers emit a fine spray of water than can freeze and cause accidents to pedestrians and vehicles.
• Alley cleaning takes place in spring, summer and fall. The crews rotate throughout the city. Call 311 to request alley cleaning services.
• DPW installed more than 4,800 street litter cans along commercial corridors for pedestrians to deposit their trash. Litter cans are emptied at night, following a daily to three times per week schedule, based on how much trash they receive. Collections are noisy, which is why litter cans are not placed in residential neighborhoods.