HIGH RIVER, AB: On Tuesday, April 23, 2019, the Town’s road crew will begin their annual street sweeping program. Every Spring, street sweepers are used to clear major thoroughfares and residential streets of gravel and other debris that have accumulated over winter.
“One of the main reasons we sweep the streets is to keep pedestrians, motorists and cyclists safe on our roadways,” says Peter Leek, Roads & Solid Waste/Recycling Supervisor with the Town. “Gravel on snow can help with traction, but on a bare road, it can have the opposite effect.”
Street sweeping also helps with minimizing the amount of sediment and debris that goes into the storm water system, Leek adds.
It takes approximately 10 weeks for the Town to complete street sweeping in the community. Typically, the program starts at the beginning of April and runs until mid-June. However, this year crews got a head start due to the early spring.
Over the next few weeks, the road crew will be rotating through each quadrant of the town on a weekly basis.
“This year we’re going to try something different with our sweeping schedule,” says Leek. “Instead of sweeping one quadrant at a time, we’re going to cycle through each of them on a weekly basis. This should better help us provide faster and more consistent service to residents.”
If any debris is missed during the first round of sweeping, the crew will circle back to clean that portion of the road during the second round.
Residents can also help the Town with street sweeping efforts by parking vehicles off the streets and removing garbage carts from the roads when sweeping is occurring in their neighbourhood. The Town would also like to remind residents to use caution when driving behind or walking near a sweeper.
“While the sweeper is working, it can create a lot of dust. This can restrict visibility,” says Leek. “Stones and other debris can also be picked up by the sweeper, which can be hazardous.”
For the complete 2019 street sweeping schedule and more information on the Town’s Street Sweeping Program, please visit highriver.ca/street-cleaning.
