MINNEAPOLIS — It is a rite of spring as dependable as the snow melt, a first robin arriving or the start of baseball season.
Yes, it's street sweeping time in Minneapolis.
The city announced that the annual comprehensive street sweeping program kicks off Tuesday, April 20, and will continue for approximately four weeks, until more than 1,000 miles of street surfaces have been swept and cleansed.
On Monday, temporary signs will start going up, warning residents not to park on sweeping routes, or risk the possibility of a ticket and tow. To save yourself a trip to the Minneapolis impound lot, there are several ways to find out when your neighborhood is on the schedule.
No parking signs: Crews will post “No Parking” signs at least 24 hours before sweeping any streets. Parking will be banned from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on the day a street is swept. The “No Parking” signs will be removed as soon as possible after a street has been completely swept to allow people to resume parking. Drivers should not park along these streets until these temporary “No Parking” signs are removed.
Automated phone calls: The City will make about 3,500 automated phone calls each evening to let residents know their street will be swept the next day.
Interactive web tool – You can visit the interactive Minneapolis street sweeping map to see when your street is scheduled to be swept.
Videos – Street sweeping is explained in English, Spanish, Somali and Hmong in short videos on the City’s YouTube channel:
- English: See how and why Minneapolis sweeps streets and what you can do to help keep streets and waterways clean.
- Spanish: En este video vea por qué la Ciudad de Minneapolis limpia las calles y qué puede hacer usted para ayudar a mantener limpias las calles y vías fluviales.
- Somali: Ka daawo fiidyowga taxanaha… ee Minneapolis ee loo yaqaan “Ma Ogtahay” siyaabaha iyo sababaha minneapolis jidadka ay u xaaqido oo ogow sidii aad uga caawin lahayd ilaalinta nadaafada jidadka iyo biyo mareenada.
- Hmong: Yog xav paub ntxiv, sais nroog Minneapolis cov tshooj xov xwm hu, “Koj pos paub.”
City officials say street sweeping protects the environment because it keeps leaves, trash and other pollutants from clogging storm drains and polluting lakes, creeks and the Mississippi River. Decomposing plant material in the water encourages the growth of harmful aquatic plants and algae.
Residents are urged not to push leaves, grass clippings, or anything else into city streets and storm drains. Not only is it bad for waterways, it’s illegal.
