Frequently Asked Questions

The benefits of street sweeping include the following: 

• Removes unsightly debris, litter and trash to beautify roadways
• Prevents the formation of thick mats that cause localized street flooding
• Reduces the frequency of catch basin cleanings 
• Improves water quality by reducing pollutant loads before they enter the stormwater system that drain into waterways. 

No. The city does not provide street sweeping on private streets. 

There are various reasons that a section of a street was not swept.  Common ones include the following:  

• It is not time for that zone to be swept yet
• A car was parked on the street at the time of sweeping
• A significant deposit of lawn clippings, leaves, brush, branches or other yard waste was placed in the curb/gutter (proper disposal of such items is through the City’s yard waste collection service)
• Something was obstructing the path of the sweeper that could damage it (hanging tree limbs/branches, mailbox extending beyond the curb, etc). 

No. The city will not ticket nor tow vehicles in relation to sweeping operations. The City kindly asks residents to move vehicles parked on the street when their zone is being swept. This will ensure optimal results. Vehicles should be moved weekdays from 7 a.m. - 4 p.m. The sweeper will move around any remaining parked vehicles. 

The street sweeper is not designed for large-scale yard waste pickup. Large quantities of yard waste, especially leaves, will clog sweeper filters, spreading the leaves over a large area. 

The sweeper operator may have determined that the first pass did not sufficiently clean the curb/gutter. 

The City’s street sweeping program is a systematic approach. Sweeper operators follow scheduled routes and work cyclically through each zone. Therefore, the City will not accept individual sweeping requests.

The following are a few helpful things that you can do to assist the street sweeping program and help make it successful: 

• Move all vehicles parked on the street when your zone is scheduled to be swept (if you end up having to park on the street, try to stagger your parking with vehicles on the other side of the street so that the sweeper can maneuver more easily) 
• Remind your friends and neighbors to move their vehicles 
• Do not place trash bins or yard waste bags in the curb/gutter when your zone is scheduled to be swept (please place them at the end of your driveway apron so that the sweeper does not have to swerve around them)
• Make sure your mailbox does not extend past the curb and obstruct the path of the sweeper 
• Do not rake, pile or blow debris, grass clippings, leaves or other yard waste into the street or gutter/gutter