Calgary’s annual spring car shuffle is about to begin, with the city’s street cleanup campaign kicking off Monday. Read More
Calgary’s street sweeping program runs from mid-April until the end of June
Calgary’s street sweeping program runs from mid-April until the end of June
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Calgary’s annual spring car shuffle is about to begin, with the city’s street cleanup campaign kicking off Monday.
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The program, which requires vehicles be kept off streets on specific dates, is scheduled to run from mid-April until the end of June, depending on weather conditions.
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In addition to improving road safety and the overall cleanliness of the city, sweeping also prevents gravel and sediment from ending up in waterways, and helps minimize dust in the air.
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“We’re always excited to make this announcement, because we can be cautiously excited that maybe winter is behind us and summer is coming,” said Chris Hewitt, manager of mobility maintenance for the City of Calgary.
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The city’s fleet of 30 sweeper trucks is divided among nine crews who target about nine communities each day over the course of the operations.
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Community streets will be swept on weekdays during daytime hours, with major roads tackled overnight.
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Here’s what Calgarians need to know about this year’s street sweeping program:
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When will street sweepers will be in my neighbourhood?
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Road signs are placed in each community a minimum of 12 hours before sweeping begins — but most often with two or three days’ notice. Residents can also check their community’s sweeping date online, or sign up to receive text or email notifications.
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Additional information is available through the City of Calgary’s website and social media.
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“This spring cleanup program is very much a collaborative effort,” Hewitt said. “We’ll have our crews out, we’ll be well organized, but we do ask the citizens to keep their cars off the road, looking out for those signs.”
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Will I have to move my car?
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For crews to clean streets effectively and efficiently, residents are required to move vehicles off the street between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. on the scheduled sweeping date.“We are committing to people that you’ll only have to keep off the road for one day,” Hewitt said.
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Vehicles left on the street during sweeping will be subject to a $120 ticket, and in some areas may be towed. Last year, parking authorities issued more than 27,000 tickets.
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“Ideally, we would like to not issue any tickets,” said Charles Gray, patrol and investigations supervisor with Calgary Parking. “A good reminder to avoid a ticket is keep your vehicle off the road for the duration of the ban, as street sweepers will make multiple passes.”
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Will sweepers show up rain, snow or shine?
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In the case of heavy rain or snowfall, street sweeping may be postponed. Crews will catch up on missed areas toward the end of the program. Residents who are signed up for alerts will be notified before the rescheduled date.
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Last year, the cleanup was paused just days after starting due to snowfall. The affected areas were revisited later in June.
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Where does all that gravel go?
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About 50,000 tonnes of gravel and debris is collected from city streets each year. Some of the gravel is recycled for use the following winter, and the rest is used as fill in the landfill.
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Due to this year’s milder winter, about 40,000 tonnes of gravel was distributed.
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— Postmedia News
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