Street Sweeping During the Overnight Hours Begins Sunday, March 8, 2026

Starting on the evening of Sunday, March 8, 2026, the Streets Division will begin overnight sweeping operations in addition to the normal daytime street sweeping work.

One shift of operators will be sweeping from 10pm to 6am when the weather allows. A different crew of operators will be working from 7:00am to 3:00pm. Crews will be working these hours for up to six weeks, depending on weather conditions.

Crews will be working to collect as much salt, sand, and other debris that has accumulated on the roads over the winter months.

Why is the Streets Division doing this?

Overnight sweeping is a normal part of the Streets Division operations as the seasons change from winter to spring. This has been something we have done for decades now.

We do this to collect as much of the sand, salt, and other debris that has accumulated on the roads all winter.

By collecting all of this debris, we are keeping this material from washing into the storm drains and out into our local waterways.

Street sweeping is not possible during the winter months.

Sweepers require water to work, so they cannot operate when temperatures are too cold. And most of the sweepers require an annual maintenance overhaul at the end of the fall season. This means that during the winter, most of the City's nine sweepers are not available to be used even when conditions are unseasonably warm.

Why is the Streets Division sweeping at night?

During the overnight hours, there are very few people out on the roads, making it the safest possible time for our crews to perform extra sweeping.

Street sweepers are very slow vehicles. When they are actively collecting material, they move at a top speed of 5MPH.

To have sweepers out during the late afternoon or evening when more cars are on the road, it will put these slow vehicles directly into traffic, which we want to avoid as much as possible.

How can I help the sweepers keep pollutants out of our lakes?

The streets sweepers can only collect what they have access to along the curb.

When sweepers need to maneuver around obstructions sections of road are left dirty. It can be a long time until a sweeper can rotate through your neighborhood again, too.

Here's how you can help:

• Follow all posted parking restrictions. When possible, choose off-street parking options whenever possible.
• Never place the trash and recycling carts for your home carts in street for collection. Put the carts on the terrace or the apron of your driveway.
• When you're on the road and encounter a sweeper working, exercise patience and be safe. Do not tailgate them. Do not cut them off.

We regret any disruption to your daily or nightly routines.

Remember, the sweepers are doing important work to keep our city and our lakes clean. We genuinely appreciate your patience and your help.

Additional Information

More information about all Streets Division's operations, including street sweeping, can be found on our website.