INDIANAPOLIS — The city recently launched a comprehensive street sweeping schedule, and a dedicated website. The city announced the plans in November 2018.
The $2 million annual program focuses on preserving pavement and infrastructure by sweeping major thoroughfares in the downtown Mile Square, Combined Sewer areas, and in Broad Ripple, many of which haven’t been swept regularly in years. The program is based on routes previously swept by Citizens Energy Group, which was responsible for sweeping streets in the Combined Sewer area where they own and maintain stormwater infrastructure. Recognizing the need for bicycle and pedestrian safety, DPW will additionally provide sweeping for street bike lanes and greenway trails.
Road surfaces will be swept on a tiered schedule, including:
• The Downtown Mile Square and Broad Ripple at least four times per week
• Major thoroughfares inside the city’s Combined Sewer area at least three times monthly
• Thoroughfares outside of the city’s combined sewer area at least two times annually
• Street bike lanes and greenway trails at least once quarterly
During April and May, 20 employees dedicated to street sweeping completed training to optimize sweeping routes from the cabs of six new street sweepers, including a small urban cleaning machine for sweeping paved bike trails and greenways, and two sweepers already in the city fleet. Working in day and overnight shifts since June, the sweeping team has swept 3,566.3 lane miles and collected 3,149.9 cubic yards of debris; this equals 891.545 tons dumped or more than 22 18-wheelers of debris diverted from sewer systems. In addition to cleaner road surfaces, sweeping removes debris that could enter waterways through storm drains, which impacts water quality countywide.
Residents living along sweeping routes are encouraged to visit indy.gov/sweep to learn their designated sweeping day and move their vehicles to allow the sweepers full access to the curb. Residents may also help street sweepers by keeping leaves, grass, sticks, large branches, litter, and other debris out of the street and away from storm drains. Street sweepers will bypass debris piles to prevent damage to equipment.