The City of Calgary will start sweeping away the last vestiges of winter on Monday, and if you see a sign on your street to move your vehicles, it a good idea to comply, or face a fine.
Residential street sweeping will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m, Monday through Friday, says Chris Hewitt, manager of mobility maintenance.
“Spring clean-up keeps our neighbourhoods safe and clean for everyone and reduces debris from entering our waterways through the stormwater system,” says Hewitt. “The success of the program is a collaboration between the city and Calgarians. Watch for signs that will go out in your community prior to sweeping."
On its website, the city advises:
* On your sweeping day, move your car;
* Driveways, garages and alleyways are great alternatives (be sure to leave enough clearance).
* If you have front street collection on your sweeping date, keep your bin off the road. Other locations include grassy boulevards and your lawn. Please don’t block the sidewalk.
Be sure to remove any non-standard, prohibited driveway ramps from the curb and gutter of a road that provides access to a front driveway onto private property. Please ensure any other obstructions, such as basketball nets, are also removed from the roadway.
“A good reminder to avoid a ticket is keep your vehicle off the road for the duration of the ban, as street sweepers will make multiple passes,” says Charles Gray, patrol and investigation supervisor at Calgary Parking. “We coordinate our enforcement with mobility to ensure our camera cars and sweepers are working as closely as possible.”
Failure to comply will be fined, says the city, with higher fines for late payment, which is $120 if paid after 30 days of a ticket being issued; $90 if paid before 30 days, and; $80 if paid with in 10 days.
Calgary Parking will catch any scofflaws.
“Camera equipped cars help enforce temporary sweeping bans, but parking officers also validate these bans by verifying community signage is accurate and visible to residents ahead of time.” says the city in a release.
“We thank you for removing vehicles off the street during the parking ban to help us complete this important work,” says Hewitt. “It’s also a good time to remind property owners that if you have front collection on sweeping day you should place your black, green and blue carts on your lawn or the grassy boulevard.”
“Residential street sweeping is expected to continue through June 2025 and we recommend back lanes (ensure adequate clearance remains), driveways and garages as alternate locations for parking.”
Facts and figures from the city::
The budget for the Spring Clean-up Program is approximately $7 million.
We sweep more than 17,000 lane kilometres of roadway. Major roads are typically swept overnight.
Residential sweeping begins at 8 a.m. on Monday, April 14 and is expected to continue Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (no sweeping on statutory holidays) through the end of June.
The street sweeping program is a collaboration between Calgary Parking and Mobility Maintenance.
