Fall street sweeps—be aware to avoid getting towed

Other than the changing temps, nothing says a change of season like city street sweeps. Crews are preparing to clean the streets before winter to help keep leaves and debris out of the storm drains, lakes and rivers.

Minneapolis Public Works will begin the big task of curb-to-curb sweeping and leaf collection on streets throughout the city on Tuesday, Oct. 22. During the four weeks of the comprehensive fall street sweep, crews will clean about 1,000 miles of city streets.

To make sure crews can do the best job possible, temporary “No Parking” signs will be posted at least 24 hours in advance so streets will be clear of cars when they’re swept.

The first signs will be posted Monday, Oct. 21, and sweeping will begin the next day. Anyone who parks on the street will need to follow posted parking rules or their cars may be ticketed and towed.

Ways to stay informed of the parking rules:

• “No Parking” signs – City 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. However, the “No Parking” signs will be removed as soon as possible after a street has been completely swept to allow people to resume parking after the signs are removed. Vehicles not in compliance with “No Parking” signs may be ticketed and towed to the Minneapolis Impound Lot.
• Phone calls to residents – In addition to the “No Parking” signs that will be posted the day before sweepers come through, the City will make about 3,000 automated phone calls each evening to let residents know their street will be swept the next day. There’s no guarantee that the calls will reach everyone, so residents should be sure to check the various ways to be aware of the rules, and watch for signs.
• Interactive web feature – Residents can use a feature on the City’s website to find out when the sweepers are coming through their neighborhoods. The Street Sweeping Schedule Lookup will be available at www.minneapolismn.gov/streetsweeping closer to the start date. The fall street sweep takes four weeks, and visitors to the website will be able to find out which week their street is scheduled to be swept. Then, on the weekend before each of the four weeks, the schedule for the upcoming week will be broken down to show which day of the week streets are scheduled to be swept.
• Social media – The City will use Facebook and Twitter to post periodic street sweeping updates and information. For updates, visit Facebook/CityofMinneapolis or @CityMinneapolis on Twitter.

—Information provided by the City of Minneapolis