Street Sweeping
Sweeping begins approximately April 1 and extends in to November as weather permits. Street sweepers start to clean winter debris from the streets as soon as weather permits in the spring. All city streets are completed each week for 6 weeks in the spring. The City’s five sweepers operate 16 - 24 hours per day, Monday through Friday.
Street Cleaning Program
Street cleaning removes dirt and debris from City streets to provide a healthy and safe environment for the citizens of Oshkosh. Street cleaning protects water quality, prevents physical damage to pavements, and minimizes the burden on the storm sewer system from surface debris. These services protect and enhance the livability of Oshkosh.
Streets staff primarily cleans only streets with curbs. Street cleaning studies have found that 97 percent of street debris lies within 40 inches of the curb. The accumulation of debris at the curb is caused by the design of the street and vehicular movement. Streets are designed with a crown in the middle sloping toward the sides. Water and debris move toward the curb and gutter areas. Vehicle movement scatters debris to the edges of traffic lanes. Streets with no curbs are affected by the same factors as curbed streets, but with no curb the debris is dispersed onto areas adjacent to the paved surfaces. Uncurbed streets are, in effect, self-cleaning.
The Street Cleaning Program is organized by seasons as follows:
Spring Cleanup:
Every street is swept with priority placed on arterial and collector streets. Road dirt, sand and debris are at their heaviest due to the winter season.
Summer:
Sweeping is dedicated to sustainment and response.
Fall Cleanup:
Sweeping is done in tandem with the leaf collection crews following established routes.
