Spring Clean Up
Spring Clean-Up is an annual street cleaning program that removes sanding materials and other debris that has accumulated on roads and along major sidewalks and boulevards during the winter months. This helps make the roads safer, protect the environment, and improve the appearance of city roads. Spring Clean-Up is scheduled to start on Monday, April 12, 2010.
Removing the loose material left after the winter helps to make the roads safer:
- Keeps bikes, motorbikes and cars from sliding around
- Cuts down on the rocks flung by vehicles
Spring clean up also protects the environment:
- Reduces water pollution by preventing run-off of sanding material and debris into the storm water system
- Reduces air pollution by cutting down own the dust and other particles in the air
The City sweeps almost 15,000 lane km of paved roads, and getting the work done is a collaborative effort. We’re calling on Calgarians to help us make a clean sweep of Calgary.
We rely on the co-operation of vehicle owners to observe street cleaning signs and remove their vehicles and garbage or recycling bins when a parking ban is in place.
If parking bans are in place, vehicles left on the roadway will be towed. If no bans are in place, vehicles, bins or other obstructions on the road will be swept around.
Given the tight schedule, and hundreds of Calgary communities, is it unlikely City crews will be able to come back. Moving vehicles from the roadway is a short-term inconvenience for the good of the city. o Blue and black carts left on the street can interfere with Spring Clean Up. Place your cart on the sidewalk or grass boulevard next to the curb on the week your street is scheduled for cleaning. We are coordinating with Waste and Recycling Services to ensure crews are aware of our schedules and the impact on their services.o If your cart is picked up from a back lane, put it in the same place as normal. Make sure to leave at least one metre between the cart and surrounding objects.
The program typically removes about 50,000 tonnes of debris; if poured into McMahon Stadium, the pile would be 12 feet deep!
The City's Street Cleaning Program consists of five main activities, which are implemented to maintain cleanliness of public thoroughfares throughout the year. These include: Winter Sweeping; Pre-Sweep of On-Street Bikeways; Spring Clean Up; Summer Sweeping; and Fall Leaf Sweeping.
Summer Sweeping
In the summer, downtown streets and main City roads are swept on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights.
Daytime sweeping does not follow a set schedule but is done as required.
