Enforcement Period for the City’s Mechanical Cleaning Program Begins on Monday, April 20

PHILADELPHIA - The Department of Sanitation reminds motorists that enforcement of vehicle relocation for brooming in all 14 areas of the Mechanical Cleaning Program begins on Monday, April 20. The 2026 program runs through Thursday, October 29, 2026. Motorists that do not adhere to posted "No Parking" signs will be subject to fines. The Parking Authority will be issuing tickets to vehicles parked on the roadway during specified no parking times. To minimize the inconvenience during parking restrictions, motorists are urged to utilize SweepPHL, a web-based map that tracks and monitors the progress of the mechanical broom. The online tool is housed at StreetSmartPHL.phila.gov.

The weekly seasonal cleaning program aligns with Mayor Parker's approach to addressing quality of life issues with an opportunity to see first-hand how the City is making Philadelphia neighborhoods clean, green, and more vibrant. Through the City's investment in street cleaning, the Sanitation Department provides regular mechanical cleaning in 14 neighborhoods identified through the Litter Index as having the highest concentration of litter and requiring additional city services to supplement cleaning efforts.

For the 2026 cleaning season the program's boundaries have been expanded in twelve of the existing areas to begin consolidating the geographic areas already receiving mechanical street cleaning. The boundaries in bold text have been expanded to include the cleaning of additional streets. The areas not highlighted remain the same from the previous year.

• Frankford: Levick to Bridge Sts. from Frankford Ave. to Keystone / Bridge to Orthodox Sts. from Griscom St. to Torresdale Ave. / Orthodox St. to Castor Ave. from Castor Ave. to Torresdale Ave.
• Germantown: Berkley St./Stenton Ave. to Chelten Ave. from Pulaski Ave. to Wakefield St.
• Kensington: Front St. to Castor Ave. from Wyoming Ave. to Tioga / Tioga St. to Lehigh Ave. from 2^nd to Kensington Ave.
• Logan: Roosevelt Blvd. to Godfrey Ave. from Broad to Mascher Sts. and Roosevelt Blvd. to Glenwood Ave. from Broad to Front Sts.
• Nicetown: Broad to 20^th from Lindley/Logan to Wagner Ave. and Broad to Clarissa Sts. from Windrim to Hunting Park and Broad St. to Hunting Park from Hunting Park to Westmoreland St.
• North Central: Broad St. to 22^nd from Allegheny to Girard Ave.
• Paschall: 58^th to 62^nd from Grays Ave. to Lindbergh Ave. and 62^nd to 70^th Sts. from Cobbs Creek Pkwy. to Dicks Ave.
• Point Breeze: Christian to McKean Sts. from Broad to 24^th
• Port Richmond: Lehigh Ave. to Torresdale Ave. from Kensington Ave. to Aramingo Ave.
• South Philly: McKean St. to Oregon Ave. from 4^th to 8^th
• Southwest: Woodland Ave. to Kingsessing Ave. from 49^th to Cemetery Ave. and 58^th to 61^st Sts from Cobbs Creek Pkwy. to Chester Ave.
• Strawberry Mansion: Lehigh Ave. to Girard Ave. from 33^rd to 22^nd Sts and 22^nd to 29^th Sts from Allegheny Ave. to Lehigh Ave.
• West Fairhill: Broad to 2^nd from Glenwood Ave. to Lehigh Ave. and Broad to Front Sts. from Lehigh Ave. to Girard Ave.
• West Philly: Parkside Ave. to Woodland Ave. from 52^nd to 40^th

Vehicle Relocation and Parking:

To facilitate a more detailed cleaning, there will be restricted parking on some streets in all 14 areas. Streets wide enough to accommodate vehicle relocation. Some of the routes in the expanded mechanical cleaning program will require residents to move their vehicles.

Mechanical broom cleaning is most effective when the brooms can reach the curb lines. The City's densely populated neighborhoods present challenges when relocating vehicles. The areas can be tight and finding parking spaces can be scarce. Therefore, relocation of vehicles will be selected based on the width of each block.

Enforcement:

No Parking signage during specified times is posted in all 14 areas. Parking is restricted between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., on a staggered schedule. Alternate street parking intervals will be staggered from 9 - 11 a.m., 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., and 1 - 3 p.m. The program will operate four days per week, Monday through Thursday excluding City-observed holidays. Any unplanned obstacles, i.e., blocked streets or mechanical failure may cause a delay or cancellation for the day. Efforts will be made to service locations as quickly as possible. While additional signage is currently being installed in the expanded areas of the program, enforcement of no parking will be enforced on streets with posted signs only.

Background:

The mechanical cleaning program will be a hybrid of mechanical sweeping, sidewalk litter and trash removal, and trash compactor removal. Some streets in each pilot area may have sidewalk cleaning maintenance along with mechanical broom cleaning weekly. Mechanical street cleaning is an effective tool in reducing litter from city streets and preventing trash and debris from entering the water systems. The hybrid cleaning approach used in the mechanical cleaning program allows litter conditions to be addressed holistically with more comprehensive cleaning across the city in areas that have higher concentrations of litter and illegal dumping.

This program is more comprehensive than standard mechanical sweeping. Equipment used in some areas will help to clear loose litter on sidewalks and other items that are not easily accessible with a standard mechanical sweeper. The equipment includes mechanical brooms (large and small), sidewalk sweepers, push brooms, and trash compactors used to remove illegally dumped materials. Backpack blowers will be used as part of the launch but not on all streets. They are an effective tool when clearing debris from sidewalks and on small streets where the mechanical broom is unable to fit. Residents should become accustomed to the new parking restrictions and become familiar with City sanitation regulations. To ensure proper cleaning is maintained, SWEEP Officers will patrol neighborhoods to educate residents on sanitation violations related to trash and litter and may issue warnings on vehicles not moved during designated times. The Sanitation Department will continue to evaluate and adjust logistics as necessary to ensure the program operates effectively and efficiently.

Residents are reminded that the Mechanical Street Cleaning Program supports community led efforts to clean blocks. City Sanitation regulations must be adhered to including setting trash out on regular collection day in the authorized location. Only household trash should be set out for pick up. Visit www.phila.gov/sanitation for specific regulations.