Clean sweep underway for Winnipeg
Winnipeggers, look out for clean, beautiful streets (and "no parking" signs, in order to avoid a ticket and tow) — beginning on Sunday night, a clean sweep is underway for the city.
Sidewalks, back lanes and roads will be the focus of the City of Winnipeg spring cleaning initiative, and it is expected to take five weeks to complete.
The first stop? Downtown. Regional streets, overpasses, bridges and bus routes are also starting points.
On April 19, the clean sweep will expand to parks and boulevards, where crews will pick up litter and, on boulevards in some residential areas, excessive sand.
The initiative will cost $4.5 million, and involve more than 500 staff members and 200 pieces of equipment.
While crews are at work, "no parking" signs will be placed in areas being cleaned. The city is asking motorists to abide by the signs, or they risk being ticketed or towed.
When it comes to grass clippings, leaves and other yard waste, the city is asking people to avoid sweeping it onto streets, as the debris can plug drains, potentially causing ponding problems and increasing the risk of flooded basements.
The seasonal yard waste collection program, which started on April 6, picks up yard waste every two weeks on the same collection day as recycling and garbage.
"Each year, city crews clean up more than 45,000 tons of debris that accumulated over the winter months," said Jim Berezowsky, manager of street maintenance for the City of Winnipeg.
"We appreciate citizens' cooperation during this major operation."
