Street sweeping is an important part of street maintenance. In addition to improving the appearance of our community, sweeping streets provides a number of environmental benefits, including:
- Removing harmful pollutants such as metal particles and other hazardous waste created by vehicles.
- Protecting fish and wildlife by reducing heavy metals and other pollutants that can enter waterways when it rains.
- Improving water quality. Street sweeping is considered a best management practice (BMP) for controlling and improving water quality.
- Reducing localized flooding during heavy rains.
- Reducing storm drain maintenance by keeping storm drains clear and unclogged.
- Enhancing traffic safety by removing debris lying in the roadway.
Sweeping is accomplished with the use of three regenerative air sweepers owned and operated by the City. The street maintenance crew sweep both during the day and at night, depending on the location.
If you notice glass, downed branches, or other debris in the roadway, you can request a street sweeper to sweep the roadway or bicycle lane by using SeeClickFix. For spills, please report to the Stormwater Hotline.
Sweeping Schedule
One sweeper operates on a graveyard shift focusing on the Central Business District and Fairhaven to maximize the effectiveness of sweeping when traffic and parked cars are at a minimum.
Central Business District
Street sweepers in the Central Business District focus on roadways, bike lanes, and on-street parking. Please comply with the no parking between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. to help make regular sweeping possible and to avoid parking infractions. Parking permits for downtown lots and garages are available, for more details please visit the City of Bellingham parking permits site.
Street Schedule
- North/South streets are swept every Tuesday
- No parking 2 a.m. to 6 a.m.
- If you plan to park your car Monday evening for the remainder of the night, make sure you are parked on an East/West street or outside the Central Business District’s sweeping zone.
- East/West streets are swept every Wednesday
- No parking 2 a.m. to 6 a.m.
- If you plan to park your car Tuesday evening for the remainder of the night, make sure you are parked on a North/South street or outside the Central Business District’s sweeping zone.
Alley Schedule
Downtown alleyways are swept once per month:
- North/South alleys are swept the first Tuesday of the month
- No parking between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m.
- East/West alleys are swept the first Wednesday of the month
- No parking between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m.
Fairhaven
Streets in Fairhaven are swept every Friday.
Streets outside the Central Business District and Fairhaven are swept on a regular schedule. Neighborhood residential streets are swept at a minimum of twice per year.
Evening Sweeping
Evening sweeping targets the Central Business District (CBD), Fairhaven, arterials, and bike routes. Click on the link below to view a typical 4-week evening street sweeping schedule that shows what areas and street types are targeted in any given month for regular sweeping.
Daytime Sweeping
Daytime sweeping targets all other areas not swept during the evening shift. Those areas are broken out into neighborhood areas numbered 1 through 25. Starting with area 1, the daytime street sweeper works through each neighborhood, in order, until all 25 have been completed. The daytime street sweeper also responds to emergency clean-ups as needed.
More Information
- Typical evening street sweeping schedule (PDF)
- Downtown and Central Business District Street Sweeping Map and Schedule (PDF)
Contact
Please use SeeClickFix to report glass, downed branches, or other debris in the roadway or bicycle lanes. Please report spills to the Stormwater Hotline.
