Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced to Chicago residents that the City is getting a jump start on street cleaning this year to address the litter and debris that have accumulated along curb lanes, center lanes and viaducts throughout the winter.

"As the snow melts, we are launching an aggressive citywide streets sweeping plan to clean our streets of the debris that has accumulated over the winter season," said Mayor Emanuel.  "As our residents begin their own spring cleaning at home, our fleet of City sweepers will be working during the early morning hours to clean main streets across the City in an effort to improve neighborhood quality of life for residents in our communities."

The Department of Streets and Sanitation (DSS) began morning street sweeping this week and is done between 4:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m., Monday through Friday, until March 31.  There will be no temporary parking restrictions related to this overnight operation.

DSS is leveraging the existing overnight parking ban, still in effect until April 1, to begin cleaning arterial streets during the early morning hours.  On April 1, DSS will begin its regular street sweeping season when both residential and main streets will be regularly swept Citywide.  More than 40 overnight street sweeping crews will work in all 50 wards to address areas in need of immediate cleaning as identified by each ward superintendent.

"Street sweeping is an essential service provided by Streets and Sanitation to ensure all neighborhoods streets are clean," said DSS Commissioner Charles L. Williams.  "Street sweepers will focus on arterial routes during the early morning hours for the remainder of March before street sweeping begins on residential ad side streets on April 1, 2015.

The annual street sweeping season begins Wednesday, April 1, 2015.  During this time, temporary parking restrictions are posted the day before a street is scheduled to be swept.  Some streets have permanently posted signs that outline days when parking is prohibited for street sweeping.  The 2015 street sweeping schedule will be available beginning March 23, at www.cityofchicago.org/dss.

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