(Washington, DC)  The DC Department of Public Works (DPW) announced today that weekly (signed), residential mechanical street cleaning will end for the season Friday, November 28, 2008. “No parking/street cleaning” restrictions will be lifted and motorists may park along posted, alternate-side, daytime street sweeping routes without being required to move their cars on street-cleaning days.  Residential street sweeping is suspended for public safety concerns during the winter. Trucks used to clean the streets emit a fine spray of water to keep dust down as they sweep. When the temperature drops to freezing or below, sweeping is discontinued to prevent freezing and accidents to vehicles and pedestrians.

Overnight sweeping scheduled for the District’s major roadways, which include Pennsylvania, Georgia, Constitution, and Independence avenues, will take place as usual all winter, weather conditions permitting. Motorists are urged not to park in these areas during the posted overnight sweeping hours.  By suspending the street sweeping program, DPW personnel will focus on leaf collection, which began November 3, and the upcoming snow removal season. Residents and business owners will be notified when street sweeping resumes again in the spring of 2009.