Street Cleaning

[etownboarder]

They were cleaning up 87 Avenue lastnight near the U of A. But it really looks like a half-assed job to me.

[The_Cat]

There's two ways of getting a job done in Edmonton:

(1) Fast
(2) Half-Fast

[IanO]

the core along 99ave, 100ave, 102ave, 101st, 99st....

[Doug]

I agree 100% that the city needs to do a much better job of spring cleaning but my beef is not limited to "the city". How many shop owners or residential property owners have not bothered to sweep their front sidewalks of pick up the litter that has blown on to their property? For those who are involved with Capital City Clean-up, how many have not bothered to get out yet and do their part? We are way to slow to clean up after the mess of winter but it is not just "the city" that is at fault here, it is all of our responsibility to get out and get it done.

[Sonic Death Monkey]

They've been cleaning McDougall Hill Road this morning.

[MylesC]

They did something on 100st today as the road became randomly wet...

Yet the curbs beside the Westin still have a good two inches of sand.....

[Doug]

IanO, have you contacted Jim Taylor to see if he can put pressure on the city to have the downtown area swept any sooner? The problem with our downtown core is that because it is mainly government workers and residential conods there is very little pressure put on City Hall to change the way things are done. You would see a noticable difference if we had some corperate head offices in this city. As it stands right now I don't think downtown is viewed any differently than a community in the suburbs by the administration in City Hall.

[IanO]

^i have contacted jim, jane, ben, don, stevo...

"The problem with our downtown core is that because it is mainly government workers and residential conods there is very little pressure put on City Hall to change the way things are done. You would see a noticable difference if we had some corperate head offices in this city. As it stands right now I don't think downtown is viewed any differently than a community in the suburbs by the administration in City Hall."

there are head offices downtown but the problem is that we are still very "small town" in thinking and IMO honestly care as much about our downtown as we do about 127ave or 149st.

ridiculous

[IanO]

Originally Posted by Doug

I agree 100% that the city needs to do a much better job of spring cleaning but my beef is not limited to "the city". How many shop owners or residential property owners have not bothered to sweep their front sidewalks of pick up the litter that has blown on to their property? For those who are involved with Capital City Clean-up, how many have not bothered to get out yet and do their part? We are way to slow to clean up after the mess of winter but it is not just "the city" that is at fault here, it is all of our responsibility to get out and get it done.

agreed in full and 'to do my part' i have been out 3 times doing cap city cleanup as i am a block captain

[Blueline]

still 109 st north of jasper is waiting on cleanup
Hey, the fox is being reno'd, perfect timing, no lead flying thru the air after 6 PM

[Doug]

That's great IanO. I really do think it is a lack of big corperations in this city that hold back our downtown. I'm sure things would be much different if we had the head office of Shell, Esso or Shaw in our downtown. Keep doing everything that you are doing, hopefully it will make a difference in the near future.

[etownboarder]

I noticed on 87 Avenue near the U of A, that even though they did their cleaning with the street sweepers... there is still a good 6 inches of sand/gravel in all the gutters.

[Sonic Death Monkey]

I hope they do Bellamy Hill soon. You can build sand castles with some of the build-up on the sides.

[IanO]

99ave from 105st-106st was done 2 nights ago and looks great.... EXCEPT the sidewalks are still covered in sand and small gravel.

but they did a very nice job on the street

[Doug]

They can sand every sidewalk in this city within a couple of days yet it takes weeks to clean them off. It's very hazardous for biking or roller blading yet it takes so much time to get them cleaned off. Why? Isn't the city concerned about law suits? They are immediately following a freezing rain event in January.

[IanO]

^exactly...

the day it snowed last week that morning there was a little sweeper brushing the snow off yet where the hell is that same machine and response time for the gravel?

well?

[IanO]

they are 'out and about' finally downtown...

[Doug]

Now if we could just get them to start sweeping the LRT and Transit Centres...

[grish]

i see signs posted about street cleaning and no parking in the west end, yet there are numerous cars at curbside. I have seen it in the past when the sweeper would just go around parked cars leaving lots of sand behind. I wish the city was a lot tougher on these people. tow anyone who interferes with the sweeper.

[IanO]

^no kidding... give ample notice, then tow.

i notice more than a few streets downtown still not done.

[Barry N]

Maybe we can equate this with Edmonton's street cleaning. Here goes...............

When we have company coming over for a visit,we always pick up our dirty socks off the floor and generally clean up our houses. So having said this,can someone explain why streets in sub-divisions that are only 50 % developed swept before major streets. I use 170st as an example. The sand is overflowing the tops of the curbs in many spots. Come on C of E pick up your dirty socks. My God it's frustrating .

[edmonton daily photo]

Oliver has been swept for a long time.. the community was very good and everyone was off the street.

It was awesome

[The_Cat]

I walked around 104 Street downtown and I still saw a lot of sand on the road. Other roads are looking good.

[JJMorrocco]

Why doesn't the city contract this work out the same way they contract out the snow removal? Most of the road construction firms have not started up yet, as the frost is still coming out, I am sure most of them would be happy to take on this work, as they have the equipment sitting idle right now anyway. This would also drive everyone to get it done before the middle of our summer.

[JJMorrocco]

Oh and last Friday a city crew was picking up sand from the side of the road with a bobcat and truck (no sweepers) it took four guys an entire day to clean one side of the street. The sad part is that it was only 500 metres of probably a 1500 metre stretch of road bordering Rundle park.

[Medwards]

When they sweep in Oliver, if your car is parked on the street, its towed some where. (Usually just a few blocks away to somewhere already swept...)

[Sonic Death Monkey]

^ Same thing in my neighborhood. A few years ago I was heading out of town for a couple of weeks but I had to leave my car on the street because my building was going to clean the parkade during that time. When I got back into town I couldn't find my car, so I called the impound lot. They told me it was moved to another street, where I found it safe and sound. No fines or anything though.

[Sonic Death Monkey]

I wonder if the sanding trucks will be out again.

[Blueline]

no need to bother with 109 north of jasper

[IanO]

Originally Posted by Sonic Death Monkey

I wonder if the sanding trucks will be out again.

better friggen not be... and i highly doubt they will

[Sonic Death Monkey]

bump...it's THAT time of the year again!

[IanO]

^haha that it is.

[etownboarder]

I've seen city crews out picking up garbage around the west end industrial parks and along the Yellowhead.

[Hilman]

I saw some on Whitemud near 75th street too, great to see.

[Barry N]

Originally Posted by etownboarder

I've seen city crews out picking up garbage around the west end industrial parks and along the Yellowhead.

There was a crew cleaning the median on 170 street heading towards WEM.

[Sonic Death Monkey]

I hope they get to downtown now. It's no fun walking around due to sand kicked up by tires and getting into your eyes.

[Marcel Petrin]

I saw a cleaner on 102 avenue the other day.

[booster]

Just a quick thought as this is still in the Rants section. Could the mods have a Street Cleaning Raves section. The past number of months we have had seemingly positive stories of street sweepers. Maybe COE has finally decided the city streets should be cleaned before the Victoria Day weekend. I for one am very happy with this change that seems to have occurred.

[Alex.L]

I'd like to see them clean up all of the sand/gravel/dirt that has collected on the high level bridge. It's narrow enough without the 3-5 inches of grit on either side of the roadway.

[Sonic Death Monkey]

I hear the downtown core has been getting cleaned. 101 St was bad, especially beside the BOM deconstruction site.

Oh please don't let it snow this weekend!

[IanO]

I recognize snow has just departed, but many downtown roads are ready for an initial clean.

[ChrisD]

^Not after this week. Maybe after this weekend.

[Leafs Fan in Edmonton]

I started cycling last week (before the snow, go fig...I start, it returns. Meh) and I hated taking up more space in the lane because of the gravel and sand. I can't bike IN the stuff because it kills my traction and can cause me to fall (no thanks!) so yeah - the sooner the better.

[Alex.L]

2 things

1) Cleaning the shoulders of the Whitemud last night and turning it into a parking lot between Terwillegar exit and 111th at 8:30pm? Really? There were 4 street cleaners, 10 trucks, 2 cop cars, and about 7 City of Edmonton trucks with flashing lights blocking the left lane and the middle lane, when all the work was being done on the shoulder of the left lane. Meanwhile, the LED sign above the road going down to Rainbow Valley Bridge said "Don't Speed". Clearly this was a pre-planned effort. These signs NEED to be used, and used properly, like this morning when the one on Terwillegar leading up to Whitemud pointed out that there was an accident on Whitemud WB @ Quesnell. Major Delays. Signs leading up to Whitemud in any direction should have said "STREET CLEANING IN PROGRESS. LANE CLOSURES. MAJOR DELAYS". There are other routes that people can take if they know that there are going to be delays.

2) Gateway Blvd still hasn't been cleaned. Easily a foot of dirt/sand/etc forming a tiny little windrow IN the left lane. There isn't a shoulder here, and it's a (if not the) main entrance to the city. How is this not a priority?

[IanO]

Some activity around the govt district last night, but still very little done. Do we need more machines? I have seen some industrial/ comm park streets done but downtown??? Not too much.

[IanO]

99 Avenue and 104/5 st this morning. Pretty ain't it.

[Doug]

Gateway should be one of the first streets done every year. They need to re-visit how we clean this city in the spring.

[IanO]

Main entrance corridors, main streets and high pedestrian areas such as the above should be done ASAP. Try walking ^ with any kind of wind. Make people want to run into their cars...

[Doug]

Agree 100% Ian. I find it interesting that the city always announces the number of sanders and plows that are out in the winter yet I have never heard how many sweepers we have out in the spring. Any idea on the number of sweepers and are they sufficent for a city our size?? Maybe that is something that needs to be looked at.

[etownboarder]

Originally Posted by IanO

99 Avenue and 104/5 st this morning. Pretty ain't it.

Email the photos to the 311 complaint line and it will be done within by early next week I bet. Anytime I call 311 with a complaint like this they usually get on it within a week which isn't too bad. With other things though, sometimes nothing happens.

[Doug]

Drove along Jasper Avenue this morning from 121 st to 100 street and found that overall the cleaning (or lack of) is appalling. Why do business and property owners not sweep their sidewalks and why has the city not taken the sweepers along the curbs?????? I do not understand the lack of pride that our city shows at times. I also went along 102 Avenue between 104 and 100 street and found that it had been cleaned properly (along the curbs and down the left turn lanes). Why is no importance put on the shopping areas like: Jasper Avenue, 124 Street and Whyte Avenue or main arteries like Gateway Blvd??? We just don't get it and likely never will.

[Sonic Death Monkey]

The parking lot of the MacEwan Alberta College campus needs cleaning asap. There's enough gravel and sand to cover Mt Everest.

[Edmonton PRT]

GM Residential Parking Lot




Is there a parking lot sweeper that comes in a tracked version?

[IanO]

Love that they brushed the gravel onto the roadways all around town, but could they not have pushed it to the curb at each location? Multiple spots it was strewn across all lanes and was quite dangerous for drivers let alone motorcyclists.

Downtown is still generally looking like a mess and it is almost May.

[stinger11]

Maybe a cage match between the Drainage Branch and the Transportation Department?

[IanO]

Our office did our 2nd spring cleanup event today, 5 bags of various items, dirt and debris. I swept a good amount of dirt into the gutters for whenever cleaners might drop by. Front, sides and back of our office are much improved. Looking forward to the middle of May to get those beds going.

[stinger11]

Originally Posted by IanO

Our office did our 2nd spring cleanup event today, 5 bags of various items, dirt and debris. I swept a good amount of dirt into the gutters for whenever cleaners might drop by. Front, sides and back of our office are much improved. Looking forward to the middle of May to get those beds going.

"into the gutters"; and then the Drainage Branch will come along and sump out the catch basins after they plug up and overflow into the street.

[IanO]

^as in dirt from the winter sanding program.

[stinger11]

Just a note to all: sweep and pick up the sand. Take it to the dump the next time you make a trip or simply place it carefully. Infrstructure doesn't stop at finished grade.

[Edmontonfan]

Relating to the above couple of comments, why doesn't the city sweep the pavements onto the road before the street sweepers come along

I've noticed a few places where the road is clear and the concrete medians & even the grass seem to be full of gravel

[Doug]

It is suppose to be timed so that the street sweeping is done once the boulevards and medians have been done however it does not always work out that way. I don't think the boulevard and median sweepers can work as fast as the street sweepers.

[IanO]

They cleaned a few of the alleys around my condo, but all of the streets remain dirty as hell. What gives?

[IanO]

Water truck going around last night spraying everything from the streets into the gutters, a good thing, but i would love to know their routes for 99ave from 104-105 and 104st from 99ave-100ave is still not done and absolutely atrocious.

[Sonic Death Monkey]

Street cleaners were working the Rossdale area on early Sunday morning.

[Municipal Man of Mystery]

They need to have overnight parking bans (say once a week or month) on arterials like 109 Street. The street cleaner always has to move around parked cars and can never do a complete job! Always some dirty spots left. A regular and well-posted weekly or monthly street cleaning schedule would be great... in a perfect world.

Hopefully street cleaning now, then paving and line marking (very important) soon.

[Doug]

Drove along Jasper Avenue this morning from 97 st to 109 St. It is the 2nd of May. By now you would think the city would have properly cleaned our main downtown street. It is in terrible condition and looks very dirty. 104 street north of Jasper, still lots of gravel on the sidewalks. Terrible. Why can't some of these property owners get out with a broom or maybe power wash? Why can't the city do a PROPER JOB of cleaning our downtown core before the 2nd of May and maybe JUST MAYBE power wash the streets and get them looking clean? Why is this city not looking at an alternative to sand during the winter months if we are not willing to invest the money and do a proper clean in the spring?

Overall how many sidewalks and boulevards around the city still have not been swept? By my count, MANY. The city gets a failing grade in the spring clean up. We need to do a better job.

[IanO]

That we do. It is a big job, but if we need more resources then get them.

[stinger11]

Growing up in Kelowna, we'd always say that the poor peolpe live in Kamloops. Dirty, dusty, weeds in the boulvards etc. Just saying......

[Blueline]

It would be nice if the adjacent property owners would also make the effort to sweep the sand from the city walks. Certainly would help

[Doug]

Yes it would. My question is, why don't some property owners in this city buy into the concept of keeping their property clean and how can we change that culture?

[240GLT]

Originally Posted by stinger11

Growing up in Kelowna, we'd always say that the poor peolpe live in Kamloops. Dirty, dusty, weeds in the boulvards etc. Just saying......

Yes, the Kelowna-ites were always rather smug and self-riteous about their perceived superiority compared to other cities in the region. Kinda reminds me of another city we all know...

[stinger11]

Originally Posted by 240GLT

Yes, the Kelowna-ites were always rather smug and self-riteous about their perceived superiority compared to other cities in the region. Kinda reminds me of another city we all know...

Like attracts like. To coin a phrase; Just because a skunk puts on rose coloured glasses, still means that he cannot smell his own hole.

[240GLT]

^ Except Kamloops is actually quite a nice town with a downtown far superior to Kelowna's in terms of development and density. So really it's just ignorance and arrogance, not reality (and they put scrubbers on the mill stack so the smell is gone too :P )

I grew up in Vernon.... Never cared for Kelowna or Kamloops myself... Kelown-ians were too stuck up and Kamloops was a drive through town that you only stopped in for gas.

[stinger11]

Originally Posted by 240GLT

^ Except Kamloops is actually quite a nice town with a downtown far superior to Kelowna's in terms of development and density. So really it's just ignorance and arrogance, not reality (and they put scrubbers on the mill stack so the smell is gone too :P )

I grew up in Vernon.... Never cared for Kelowna or Kamloops myself... Kelown-ians were too stuck up and Kamloops was a drive through town that you only stopped in for gas.

Vernon is decent; Kamloops not so much. Anyways, my point for this thread is, combined with the overgrowth of weeds, uncut grass and all the sand on the streets (for such a long period of time) gives people the impression that being unkept is acceptable. I hardly doubt that people would respect the Mayor if he wore dirty clothes to work everyday. Key word....respect. Store owners and the general public (not all) are following the lead in all this. Mixed messages are subject to fail.

[IanO]

Sent to 311... still not done. Odd thing is they have run a water truck with hoses to flush the streets west and north of this, but never do these 2 streets (104st from 99-100 and 99 from 104-105st). I just dont get it.

[Barry N]

Originally Posted by IanO

Sent to 311... still not done. Odd thing is they have run a water truck with hoses to flush the streets west and north of this, but never do these 2 streets (104st from 99-100 and 99 from 104-105st). I just dont get it.

@ Ian, yes along with yourself it puzzles me to no end how the streets are deligated for cleaning. Common sense would dictate that downtown [ and a broader area] than what now defines DT would be done first. Then major streets leading to and around major tourist areas would be next on the list. I kind of feel empathy for the city in some respects. In the west-end close to where I live the city has swept 95 ave and then a week later one of the condo complexes powered raked all their dead grass out into the road .

[Municipal Man of Mystery]

And you just know that when they finally go to clean that street, there will be cars parked along it so it won't get properly cleaned. Then when you call 311 again, they'll say "that street was just cleaned a few days ago. Goodbye." Goes back to my original post on this topic that Edmonton should have a regular and posted street-cleaning schedule, whereby cars won't be allowed to park on the street being cleaned for a certain period of time, like most major cities in the world!

[Medwards]

MMofM...

http://www.edmonton.ca/transportatio...-cleaning.aspx

[Municipal Man of Mystery]

Thanks, I know about the cleaning schedule, but the problem is that "the City recommends residents move their parked vehicles from the road when street cleaning is scheduled for their neighbourhood." There is nothing forcing people to do it, and there are always patches where the street cleaner needs to go around cars and it's just left like that for the rest of the year. 109 Street, as I mentioned earlier, for example. If there was regular street-cleaning (say once a month) that was posted on street signs, and if it was enforced with tickets and towing when necessary, this wouldn't be as much of a problem. Might be a bit of work to set up initially, but it would go a long way to making Edmonton a cleaner city in the long run.

Using some alternatives to sand might help, too, and apparently there are some more cost and condition-effective alternatives being developed. Here's what Calgary does, for example: http://www.calgary.ca/Transportation...plan-FAQs.aspx

[Medwards]

I know in Oliver when they do the street cleaning, signs are put up, and if you are parked, your car is towed a few blocks away...

Wonder why they don't do this to the rest of the city

[240GLT]

Originally Posted by Medwards

I know in Oliver when they do the street cleaning, signs are put up, and if you are parked, your car is towed a few blocks away...

Wonder why they don't do this to the rest of the city

They do this in every neighborhood in the city

The signs just went up here yesterday

[Municipal Man of Mystery]

Really? Could've fooled me. Take a walk up 109 Street downtown - plenty of examples where the street-cleaner just went around parked cars. I've seen this in other neighbourhoods, too. Glad to hear they do this, though.

[Medwards]

(my experiences are related to previous years... I haven't taken too much note of how they are doing it this year...)

[Sonic Death Monkey]

I find the city is very inconsistent re: towing cars during street cleaning. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. A firm policy is required here.

[IanO]

99Ave was done (and quite well at that) last night but they didnt turn the corner and go up 104st.... hopefully tonight, but again, such an odd method of madness.

[Municipal Man of Mystery]

As per the May 5 link provided by Medwards: "Please Note: Downtown is not part of the residential street cleaning schedule."

So I guess they just do it randomly? Good to see 99 Ave done though, and repaving 105 Street, though there are definitely plenty of streets that need repaving more urgently. Street construction schedule: http://www.edmonton.ca/transportatio...r-streets.aspx.

[IanO]

104 St partially done, but they didn't tow... About 30% missed

[Municipal Man of Mystery]

I drove through some inner-city neighbourhoods on the weekend that had been "completed" and there were plenty of areas where the street-cleaner simply went around the parked cars on the road, leaving a graveled crest. A lot of Oliver (south of Jasper) still not done. Also, many parts of 109 Street are still dirty thanks to parked cars, despite the sweeper coming by several times so far this year. Notify, ticket, and tow!

[azzey]

The cleaner came down our street the other day, leaving about half the debris behind. Why he didn't turn around and come back is beyond me. There was also no sign warning drivers about the cleaning; I only knew about it because I had checked the schedule online.

I called 311 and complained.

[240GLT]

Main arteries in the Parkdale/ Alberta Ave area have been done (111th ave, 115th ave, 118th ave, 95th st, 86th st, 82 strett, Fort Road) but the residential streets are still a week or so out. I notice that when the sweeper turns down a side street to change direction or clean an intersection, it often dumps a lot of sand on the side streets. Hoping that when residential streets are done, they clean up these messes too.

Really need a good hard rain to clean the dust up.

[WestendMark]

The city does not move or ticket cars that are left on the street even when the signs are up that the street cleaning will occur soon. This really irritiates me. I have an inconsiderate neighbour that leaves two vehicles on the street year round because he is too frigging lazy to clean up his garage and get his SUVs off the street. At the very least, he could move the vehicles when the streets are going to be cleaned (or plowed). However, with no enforcement, he can be as lazy and inconsiderate as he wishes, even if it has an negative impact on others.

Why can't the city just have someone go around and ticket vehicles that are left on the street when the cleaning is occuring? There is no shortage of city staff to ticket vehicles at expired parking meters downtown.

[Doug]

I'm sure it has to do with the expense of towing vehicles, not issuing the tickets but I also think the city should issue tickets for people who refuse to move their vehicles.

[FlyFlyAway]

Where do you want residents who, for whatever reason (including bad planning on their part), can't park their car off the street near their home? Moving a block away doesn't help - the entire neighbourhood is under a "ban". Parking at a mall or Park and Ride for one night might work, but for five nights it's rather impractical and/or costly. Parking one neighbourhood over might work (although it's sometimes quite a walk), but I notice that the City enjoys scheduling neighbouring neighbourhoods at the same time, starting as little as one day apart.

There's a reason they don't ticket for the street sweeping ban - it's because the City doesn't have an answer to this question for a significant number of residents. At least not one they publish

Would something like, "Streets and Blvds on Monday/Wednesday/Friday, Avenues and all other road names on Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday"? Odds and "A-M" on odd days of the month; Evens and "N-Z" on even days? How much duplication of effort and crossing of arterial roadways would occur to increase the time needed to clean up, versus the duplication that occurs under the current system?

[240GLT]

^ Our street, like a lot of central grid style streets are narrow so parking is only allowed on one side of the street. I'd think they could temporarily move parking over to the other side of the street, then move it back to ensure both sides are swept.

Although i am suprised to hear about cars being left and swept around... they alwatys tow vehicles that are left in the way during the sweeping in our area. Is is possible that these instances when the cars are left, is because it's a street that is cleaned regulary ? If that was the case, you're not going to tow vehicles every time the sweper goes down the street. On our street, we only get the sweeper once per year, so it's far more important to have all the cars off for that one day.

[azzey]

^ They went around cars on my street-- 102 St north of 127 Ave. As I stated before, no signage was present on 127 St indicating that they would be cleaning the streets. I was aware of it because I checked on-line.

[FlyFlyAway]

^^Parking on one side only is exactly how real cities do it, cities that sweep regularly and have streetfront garbage pickup. Wikipedia Challenging to implement for just a few days, or even a few weeks. Do you force people to alternate year-round, or create a sign that says, "No Parking...except during street sweeping week/month?" A little easy for locals to remember, not so easy for visitors (including visitors from those far away suburbs like St. Albert...or Summerside). But definitely a good idea.

[Edmonton PRT]

In Chicago, they ban parking on one side of the street on night and the other side the next night for weekly street sweeping. Taxes are higher, city is more dense, service levels are higher.

Urban sprawl hurts us all.

[Medwards]

The city of Laval does the same thing... They certainly sprawl.

[SP59]

^^Looking at google the city of Edmonton, Sherwood Park and part of St. Albert fit in the picture at 30.04 km. When you look at the Chicago area at 30.04 km it is almost all solid urban area around the whole screen. Obviously Chicago has more sprawl than Edmonton. I would argue it takes sprawl to make living in a high density neighbourhood's advantages become a factor in determining where people choose to live.

[Sonic Death Monkey]

Can we not turn this into yet another sprawl debate, please?