The District sweeps nearly 4,000 "lane miles" of city streets every month. DPW uses tractor-sized street sweeping machines to clean those residential streets that receive a high volume of pedestrian traffic and litter or are near neighborhood commercial streets. Since these are residential, not commercial streets, the residents must agree to move their cars from the curbside during posted sweeping hours, or risk ticketing and towing.
Mechanical street sweeping is a weekly service in heavily trafficked residential sections of Wards 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. In other residential areas, unscheduled cleaning takes place on an "as needed" basis—generally monthly or quarterly. Street and Alley Cleaning crews also respond to individual requests for one-time street cleaning. Commercial areas' cleaning cycles range from daily to weekly.
Street-sweepers operate by spreading a thin layer of water under their rotating brushes before sweeping debris into a large hopper under the machine. To prevent potentially icy conditions, street cleaning is temporarily suspended each winter, when temperatures traditionally drop below freezing. Parking restrictions related to street sweeping are lifted during the suspension.
Hours of Operation
- 6:30 am - 3:15 pm, Monday through Friday
We Will Investigate Within
We Will Resolve Within
- 2 days, mechanical sweeping
- 7-28 days, manual cleaning
Holiday Schedule
- DPW is closed on all government holidays.
To Request Services
