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Philly’s street-sweeping program will resume Monday

Here are the schedule, neighborhoods, and rules for Philadelphia's 2024 street-cleaning program.

A street sweeping crew works near at 24th and York in 2019.
A street sweeping crew works near at 24th and York in 2019.Read moreJESSICA GRIFFIN / Staff Photographer

Street sweeping is officially returning to Philadelphia next week, and it’s coming back with a larger footprint in some neighborhoods.

This year’s street-sweeping program will start back up Monday and run through Nov. 1, the Streets Department announced. All 14 areas serviced by the program last year will be included again, and seven of them have been expanded.

“We are proud to provide these additional city services to supplement cleaning efforts in neighborhoods that need it the most,” Mayor Cherelle L. Parker said in a statement. “Not only will these efforts contribute to a city that is not only cleaner and greener, but also equitable and resilient.”

As with last year, residents in areas scheduled for cleaning will need to be on the lookout for parking restrictions on street-sweeping days. There will be a grace period for ticketing in affected areas until April 29, but after that, the Philadelphia Parking Authority will issue fines.

Here is what you need to know:

What is the 2024 Philadelphia street-sweeping schedule?

Street sweeping will run April 1 through Nov. 1, Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on a staggered schedule. No cleanings will take place on official city-observed holidays, and blocked streets or equipment failures may cause cleaning delays or cancellations.

Each area will be cleaned once a week. Signs will be posted with information about which days you will need to move your vehicle.

What neighborhoods are getting street sweeping?

Fourteen areas around the city were identified by the Streets Department as having the highest concentrations of litter through the Litter Index, and those areas will be swept. The same neighborhoods were served last year, but seven areas — Frankford, Logan, Nicetown, North Central, Paschall, Strawberry Mansion, and West Fairhill — will have larger cleaning zones.

“Integrating the current areas already receiving mechanical street cleaning allows for a proactive citywide strategy that addresses quality of life issues in every neighborhood prioritizing the most underserved communities first,” said Carlton Williams, director of clean and green initiatives.

Maps of the designated service areas are available on the city’s Mechanical Street Cleaning website. The areas are:

  1. Frankford: Levick Street to Adams Avenue from Griscom to Keystone Streets

  2. Germantown: Berkley Street to Chelten Avenue from Pulaski Avenue to Wakefield Street

  3. Kensington: Second Street to Kensington Avenue from Tioga Street to Lehigh Avenue

  4. Logan: Godfrey Street to Roosevelt Boulevard from Broad to Mascher Streets

  5. Nicetown: Broad Street to Hunting Park Avenue, Clarissa Street and Stenton Avenue from Lindley/Logan Streets to Allegheny Avenue

  6. North Central: Broad to 22nd Streets from Allegheny Avenue to Diamond Street

  7. Paschall: 58th to 70th Streets from Cobbs Creek to Dicks Avenue

  8. Point Breeze: Christian to McKean Streets from Broad to 24th Streets

  9. Port Richmond: Kensington to Aramingo Avenues from Tioga Street to Lehigh Avenue

  10. South Philly: McKean Street to Oregon Avenue from Fourth to Eighth Streets

  11. Southwest: Woodland to Kingsessing Avenues from 49th Street to Cemetery Avenue and 58th to 61st Streets from Cobbs Creek Parkway to Kingsessing Avenue

  12. Strawberry Mansion: West Diamond/West Sedgley to Allegheny Avenue from 22nd to 33rd Streets

  13. West Fairhill: Front to 13th Streets from Glenwood Avenue to Diamond Street

  14. West Philly: Parkside Avenue to Spring Garden Street from 52nd to 40th Streets

Do I have to move my car?

Yes. In order for crews to more completely clean the areas, all have restricted parking zones. As a result, some routes will require residents to relocate their vehicles.

The city has posted no parking signage with specified times in almost all the areas, with the exception of the expanded zone in Frankford, the Streets Department said last week. The areas where parking is restricted were determined based on the width of the blocks.

If vehicles aren’t moved, they can eventually be ticketed. The city said it has instituted a one-month warning period in order to “encourage residents to become reacclimated to the parking restrictions.” After that, enforcement will begin.

Residents in service areas can also track street-sweeping progress via SweepPHL, a web-based city map that shows the progress of cleaning crews.

What does the street-sweeping program entail?

Technically known as the “Mechanical Cleaning Program,” the street-sweeping program revolves around “mechanical broom cleaning” and a team of city street cleaners who will clear debris and remove trash from designated service zones. The mechanical broom, or street sweeper, will clean streets from curb to curb.

Additionally, crews will include workers with backpack blowers and hand brooms on some routes, and sanitation officers issuing violations for dumping and litter. Trash compactors used to dispose of illegally dumped trash may also be used, the city said.

That is known as a “hybrid cleaning approach,” and it allows litter to be addressed more “holistically,” sanitation commissioner Crystal Jacobs Shipman said.