Residential Street Sweeping

Project:   Residential streetsweeping/winter storm clean up.

Administered by:   The Department of Transportation, Division of Highway Services. For general information call 311.

Purpose:

•  To remove winter abrasives and other debris from County streets.

•  To reduce pollutants in the Chesapeake Bay .

•  To improve the appearance of our neighborhoods.

•  To improve the safety of our streets.

•  To reduce maintenance costs by keeping the drainage systems clean.

Contractor:   This year’s program will be implemented through a contract with Reilly's Sweeping,  Incorporated.   They will employ sweepers that combine a circular brushing motion with a vacuum to remove debris.  

Start Date:   This year’s program will begin late March, 2011 and should be complete by September 1, 2011. 

Duration:  Our contractor will work Monday through Friday and may work some Saturdays.  Based on current resources, we expected the program to take 16 to 20 weeks to complete, but weather and the amount of debris collected can be a factor in the length of time that is required to complete all neighborhoods.

Accomplishments:   The program is scheduled to sweep over 4017 miles of roads, which includes the sweeping of about 90% of our roadway system.   We collected over 1800 tons of materials in last year’s program and should collect at least that amount this year. This program significantly reduces the amount of pollutants entering the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Public Notification:   The County’s Internet site will be updated on a regular basis with a daily map showng the sweeping progress. Street Sweeping signs will be posted in densely populated areas in advance of service.  

General Direction:   This year’s operation is scheduled to start in the Wheaton/Silver Spring area. The general direction has not yet been finalized but will be posted here when it has been.  We rotate the starting point of the program each year using recommendations from the Department of Environmental Protection to reduce the effects of pollutants in vulnerable watersheds.

For frequently asked questions, view our FAQ page.