About the Spring Clean-up program
- What is the purpose of the Spring Clean-up program?
- How does weather affect Spring Clean-up?
- How much material is collected during Spring Clean-up?
Schedule and timing
Spring Clean-up starts mid April and runs for approximately 12 weeks. Find your community clean-up date.
- Are some streets given priority when it comes to Spring Clean-up?
- I live in a new subdivision and my road didn't get cleaned. Why not?
- Will lanes be cleaned?
- Will The City clean winter sanding materials off sidewalks and boulevards?
Environment
- How does Spring Clean-up improve our environment?
- What environmental controls does The City use during Spring Clean-up?
- What does The City do with the recovered gravel?
Citizen participation
- What can I do to help?
- What if I leave my vehicle on the road?
- If my car has been towed, how do I find out where it is?
About the Spring Clean-up program
1. What is the purpose of the Spring Clean-up program?
The Spring Clean-up program ensures that sanding materials and other debris that accumulate on our roads and along major sidewalks and boulevards during the winter months are swept away in the spring. This helps to make the roads safer for all users, improves the appearance of city roads and helps to protect our environment.
2. How does weather affect Spring Clean-up?
The weather can affect the Spring Clean-up schedule. Sweeping activities are suspended in the case of rain or snow storms. If we do experience a late spring snow storm City crews will carry out Snow and Ice Control. Sweeping will resume after the roads dry.
3. How much material is collected during Spring Clean-up?
Between mid April and July, City crews typically remove about 50,000 tonnes of debris; if poured into McMahon Stadium, the pile would be 12 feet deep!
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Schedule and timing
Spring Clean-up starts mid April and runs for approximately 12 weeks. Find your community clean-up date.
4. Are some streets given priority when it comes to Spring Clean-up?
Yes. The City of Calgary sweeps marked on-street bicycle lanes first before moving on to roads with no bike lanes.
5. I live in a new subdivision and my road didn't get cleaned. Why not?
Subdivision roadways are the responsibility of the developer until they receive a Final Acceptance Certificate from The City of Calgary. At that time, The City assumes responsibility for maintaining the subdivision's roads.
6. Will lanes be cleaned?
Only fully paved lanes will be cleaned on a complaint basis only.
7. Will The City be cleaning winter sanding materials off sidewalks and boulevards?
City crews clean sanding materials off sidewalks and boulevards on major roads only.
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Environment
8. How does Spring Clean-up improve our environment?
Spring Clean-up reduces the potential for water and air pollution by preventing the dispersal of dust and other particles from moving traffic. The Spring Clean-up program is closely linked to The City’s Salt Management program for Snow and Ice Control. Visit The City of Calgary’s News Blog to read more about the program.
9. What environmental controls does The City use during Spring Clean-up?
- During nights when medians on major roads are cleaned, the street sweeping crews cover the catch basins to prevent the sanding materials and debris from entering the stormwater system.
- City crews pre-treat the road to reduce the dust generated during street sweeping. Small quantities of water are used during this process so water laden with sanding materials and debris does not enter the stormwater system.
- To keep street sweepers in top condition, they must be cleaned with water at least three times per day. It is most economical to do this at "flushing stations" in the area where they are working. Sedimentation control dams are set up to prevent the run-off from entering the stormwater system. When the sweeper has been cleaned, the debris collected by the sedimentation control dams is removed by the street sweeping crew.
Spring Clean-up is managed in accordance with The City of Calgary's Environmental Policy, which states that The City is committed to complying with applicable legislation, conserving resources and preventing pollution, and to continually improve environmental performance.
10. What does The City do with the recovered gravel?
The City disposes recovered gravel, from Spring Clean-up operations, in City landfills.
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Citizen participation
11. What can I do to help?
The City relies on the cooperation of vehicle owners to observe street cleaning signs and remove their vehicles and garbage or recycling carts from the roads being cleaned. This ensures that the entire road is cleaned. This is a short-term inconvenience for the good of the city.
- Watch for signs in your community indicating when your road is scheduled for clean-up. Or, to find your community clean-up date using a form, visit the street cleaning schedule map or contact 311.
- Remove vehicles from the road for the posted dates and times so that the road can be cleaned. Vehicle owners may have to park outside the area of the road being swept.
- Move your vehicle to an area that will not obstruct the entrances to private property or impede access for emergency vehicles and garbage collection.
- Blue and black carts left on the street can interfere with Spring Clean-up. Place your cart on the sidewalk or grass boulevard next to the curb on the week your street is scheduled for cleaning. If your cart is picked up from a back lane, put it in the same place as normal. Make sure to leave at least one metre between the cart and surrounding objects.
- Be sure to remove non-standard, prohibited driveway ramps from the curb and gutter of a road that provides access to a front driveway onto private property.
- Remember to do your part in keeping Calgary clean: don't litter!
12. What if I leave my vehicle on the road?
- If a parking ban is in effect, the vehicle will be tagged and towed to a nearby road if space is available, or to the City of Calgary's impound lot.
- Vehicles are fined and towed only if a "No Parking" sign (i.e. parking ban) is in effect. The vehicle owner pays the parking ticket and impound fee, if applicable.
- If parking has not been legally banned but the street cleaning signs are up, crews will sweep around vehicles. Note: Crews will not come back to sweep the street again, so it’s important to move your vehicle even when there is no penalty for not doing so
Note: The Parking Ban Signs (No Parking Signs) are the small 3-feet high signs that have the No Parking symbol on them, and not the large street cleaning schedule signs.
13. If my car has been towed, how do I find out where it is?
To find out where your vehicle is, call the Calgary Parking Authority at 403-537-7100.
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