DPW works to clean streets and alleys (Street & Alley Cleaning) from the first Monday in April through September 30th. Alley cleaning is suspended from October 1st through March 31st. Alley Cleaning Services include cleaning up loose litter, debris, glass, gravel, sand, and liquid spills in the alley. It includes manual and mechanical cleaning when applicable.
While DPW cleans streets year-round (Street Sweeping), some streets are designated “no parking for cleaning” from March 3rd to October 31st, and drivers should check signs to ensure they’re not parked in a cleaning zone during that time. Please note that cars parked on routes during scheduled street sweeping may result in portions of a block/or route not receiving curb-to-street sweeping. Street sweeping may also be missed due to operational modifications. DPW recently expanded its street-sweeping program to encompass more residential neighborhoods and cleans residential and arterial streets using mechanical sweepers of various sizes. This program operates in densely populated neighborhoods with high-volume pedestrian traffic.
Click here to report issues related to automated street sweeping.
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.
- Per District of Columbia Municipal Regulations 21-702 - REMOVAL OF REFUSE FROM PUBLIC SPACE ADJACENT TO PRIVATE PROPERTY
- Except as provided in §702.2, each owner, tenant, or lessee (or the agent of that person) who has control of or occupies any building, lot, or land within the District shall maintain in clean condition the public space from the property line of that building, lot, or land and extending eighteen inches (18 in.) from the curb line (or the lateral lines of the roadway) into the abutting roadway.
- 702.2 Each owner, tenant, or lessee (or the agent of that person) who has control of or occupies any building that contains three (3) or fewer dwelling units within the District shall maintain in clean condition the public space between the curb line (or lateral lines of the roadway) and the property line of that building.
- Except as provided in §702.2, each owner, tenant, or lessee (or the agent of that person) who has control of or occupies any building, lot, or land within the District shall maintain in clean condition the public space from the property line of that building, lot, or land and extending eighteen inches (18 in.) from the curb line (or the lateral lines of the roadway) into the abutting roadway.
- 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.
- 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 and/or enter a request directly into the system via “Street Cleaning” or “Alley Cleaning”.
- For bulk pick-up (mattresses, furniture, etc.) please schedule this service through the "Residential Bulk Pick-up" request. Services to remove overgrowth of grass and weeds in the alley, require a "Grass and Weeds Mowing" request.
Procedures for the application for the residential street sweeping program and installation/removal of the "NO PARKING" signs
- A petition must be completed for each street location.
- A minimum of three (3) blocks is required to be considered for the program.
- For traffic safety reasons, petitions will not be considered
- in the middle of a one-way street,
- rush hour restriction roadways, and
- commercial corridors roadways.
- Petitions – for both applications and removals – must have the signatures of individuals representing at least eighty percent (80%) of the residences on the block.
- If an apartment building is located within the block, then each apartment unit is to be counted as a separate residence.
- SACD reserves the right to deny any petition.
- The Department of Public Works, Solid Waste Management Administration, Street and Alley Cleaning Division (SACD) will inspect the blocks, taking into consideration
- the amount of litter,
- the total number of residences, and
- to determine the feasibility of mechanically sweeping.
- SACD will verify all signatures. SACD will also inspect the blocks for proposed designated locations of poles and signs.
- In cases where poles need to be installed Miss Utility will need to be notified. This may cause some delays in the process.
- DPW/SWMA will notify the Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) of a particular block requesting Street Sweeping and the approval of a petition. The ANC will be allowed an opportunity to advise the government on this issue as required by District of Columbia Law.
- Upon a decision on the petition, SACD will notify the ANC and the citizen generating the petition of the determination.
- If approved, the notification will indicate the date on which the NO PARKING FOR STREET CLEANING signs will be installed and the date sweeping will begin.
- Department of Transportation (DDOT) will install the NO PARKING FOR STREET CLEANING signs.
PETITION FOR INSTALLATION/ REMOVAL OF MECHANICAL SWEEPING
