Street sweeping set to begin in Minneapolis Tuesday, Oct. 26
Street sweeping crews are about to start sweeping streets across Minneapolis, and that means drivers will need to park out of their way.
Minneapolis Public Works will begin the big task of curb-to-curb sweeping and leaf collection on streets throughout the city on Tuesday, October 26. During the four weeks of the comprehensive fall street sweep, crews will clean up about 1,100 miles of city streets. To make sure the sweepers can do the best job possible, temporary "No Parking" signs will be posted at least 24 hours in advance to make sure streets are clear of cars when they’re swept. The first signs will be posted Monday, Oct. 25, and sweeping will begin the next day. Anyone who parks on the street will need to follow street sweep parking rules or their cars may be ticketed and towed.
Making it easy to follow parking rules!
- "No Parking" signs – City crews will post "No Parking" signs at least 24 hours before sweeping any streets. Parking will be banned from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on the day a street is swept. The "No Parking" signs will be removed as soon as possible after a street has been completely swept to allow people to resume parking. Vehicles not in compliance with "No Parking" signs will be ticketed and towed to the Minneapolis Impound Lot.
- Social media – The City will use Facebook and Twitter to post periodic street sweeping updates and information.
- Facebook: To become a fan of the City of Minneapolis Facebook page, go to www.facebook.com/cityofminneapolis.
- Twitter: To follow the City's Twitter account, go to www.twitter.com/CityMinneapolis.
- Phone calls to residents – In addition to the "No Parking" signs that will be posted the day before sweepers come through, the City will make about 3,500 automated phone calls each evening to let residents know their street will be swept the next day. There’s no guarantee that everyone will get a call, so residents should be sure to use all means available to stay alert and be prepared to move.
- Interactive Web feature – Starting Sunday, October 24 folks can use a feature on the City's website to find out when the sweepers are coming through their neighborhoods. The tool will be available at the street sweep website.
The fall street sweep takes four weeks, and visitors to the website will be able to find out which week their street is scheduled to be swept. Then, on the weekend before each of the four weeks, the schedule for the upcoming week will be broken down to show which day of the week streets are scheduled to be swept.
Clean streets mean a healthier environment
Minneapolis is known for its sparkling lakes and waterways, and we want to keep it that way. That’s why protecting and enhancing our environment is one of the City's top priorities. Street sweeping is one way we work to protect our environment because it keeps leaves and debris from clogging our storm drains and polluting our lakes and rivers. It also helps keep our neighborhoods clean and livable.
Minneapolis streets are swept completely curb to curb once in the spring and once in the fall. Residents should not push leaves, grass clippings, or other debris into City streets – it’s bad for our lakes and waterways, can cause safety hazards, and is against the law. Anything that goes down a storm drain flows directly into our lakes and river, and decomposing plant material in the water encourages the growth of harmful aquatic plants and algae.
Published Oct. 19, 2010