Reminder: Street Cleaning Starts Next Week

Mayor Menino Reminds Residents: Neighborhood Street Cleaning Begins April 1

City continues to implement changes to better coincide sweeping with trash and recycling pickup 

Mayor Thomas M. Menino today reminded residents that Boston’s Daytime Neighborhood Street Cleaning Program will officially kick-off for the season on April 1.  This year, the Neighborhood Street Cleaning Program has updated street sweeping days in many neighborhoods to better align the sweeping schedule with trash and recycling days in an effort to boost the impact of the City’s cleanup services and reduce neighborhood trash and litter.  The new sweeping schedule and enforcement will begin citywide on April 1.

  Weather permitting, extended street sweeping began for the North End, South End and Beacon Hill on March 1.  
“Keeping Boston’s neighborhoods clean is a top priority of mine, as well as our residents,” Mayor Menino said. “These schedule changes will allow us to clean streets in a way that improves our operations and maximizes the benefits of sweeping. I look forward to seeing our neighborhoods shine once again this spring.”

Effective April 1, the Public Works Department will implement a new schedule of street sweeping days to align with trash collection for some portions of Jamaica Plain and most of the Dorchester and Mission Hill neighborhoods. This effort will provide cleaner streets and a reduction in rodent food sources. The Boston Transportation Department has replaced or added approximately 6,500 signs in the three neighborhoods.

Residents are encouraged to sign up for the City of Boston’s No-Tow automated alert system that emails users a reminder to move their cars the night before their street is swept so they are not towed.  No-Tow registration and comprehensive street sweeping schedule information is available at: www.cityofboston.gov/publicworks/sweeping. Residents can also call the Mayor’s Hotline at 617-635-4500 for sweeping information.
The extended program in Beacon Hill includes an expansion into March and December and onto the fifth week of each month, at the request of the neighborhood.  By moving the sweeping day to follow trash collection more closely, the new schedule will alleviate litter generated from this collection in a more timely and effective manner.
The Daytime Neighborhood Street Cleaning Program is a cooperative effort of the Mayor's Office, the Public Works Department, the Transportation Department, and the Department of Innovation and Technology.  Neighborhood streets throughout the city will be swept clean on a rotating schedule each week through November 30th.  Vehicles are required to be moved in accordance with the posted Street Cleaning regulations.  Since parked vehicles prohibit the equipment from getting to the curb, the street cleaning parking regulations are strictly enforced.  Vehicles parked in violation of the posted regulations are subject to a $40 ticket as well as towing.  All towing for street cleaning violations is conducted by private tow operators at the sole expense of the vehicle owner.

Additional tips for residents:

·         Signs for both day and night sweeping are posted in your neighborhood, a minimum of one per block, and indicate the days and hours that parking is not allowed. Residential streets are typically swept during the day program. Main arterials and the downtown areas are swept in the night program.

·         PWD has changed the 2013 posted days/hours for many residential streets to provide more effective street sweeping. It is important to note the posted signs in your immediate neighborhood since they may have changed since last season.

·         The night posted restrictions in all neighborhoods are in effect year round with the exceptions of weather-related cancellations.

·         The Daytime Neighborhood Street Cleaning Program runs from April 1 through November 30, except in Beacon Hill, North End and South End which have been extended into December and March by neighborhood request. 

·         Both the night and day sweeping programs will be enforced, which includes fines for illegal parking as well as towing.

·         Comprehensive street sweeping information can be found at www.cityofboston.gov/publicworks/sweeping. You can also register for posted street sweeping electronic reminders and cancellations by accessing the NO-TOW link at that web site. Inquiries can also be directed to the Mayor’s 24-Hour Service at 61-635-4500.