Spring cleanup commences

MEDIA RELEASE:

WINNIPEG April 11, 2006 - The City's annual spring cleanup of streets, walks and boulevards is scheduled to begin Monday night, April 17, 2006.

Most sweeping on the regional streets will take place at night, when traffic volumes are lowest. Daytime sweeping will focus primarily on collector and residential streets. Once the regional streets are completed crews will work day and night on the balance of residential streets.

Boulevard cleanup will focus first on boulevards and centre medians along major routes. Cleanup of boulevards in residential areas is limited to areas where there is excessive accumulation of sand.

Bill Larkin, Director of Public Works, says cleanup crews must watch the weather closely in the early weeks of the campaign and stop operations if night time temperatures fall below freezing.

Larkin says during the cleanup, water is sprayed onto the streets to control dust. “When temperatures fall below freezing we can’t use water and are forced to curtail sweeping. Similarly frozen boulevards can’t effectively be cleaned.”

Larkin estimates approximately 45,000 tonnes of aggregate (from winter ice control) will be removed from streets, walks, and boulevards during the cleanup.

Larkin urges motorists and pedestrians to exercise extra caution near sweeping equipment.

Motorists are reminded to watch for temporary No Parking signs on city streets. These signs, placed well in advance of sweeping operations, indicate the hours of prohibited parking. Vehicles parked in violation of the prohibited times may be ticketed and towed at the owners expense.

Larkin reminds small business owners and individuals to refrain from placing advertising signs on boulevards and medians as these impede cleanup activities and summer maintenance like grass mowing.

The $2.6 million cleanup is expected to take four to five weeks and will involve approximately 200 pieces of equipment and more than 500 people.