Sweeping

Overview

Streets that are clean of dirt and debris improve the aesthetic appearance of a community and also provide better service to drivers. Excessive dirt and gravel can lead to skidding and spinning tires as they lose traction with the street surface making for unsafe driving conditions especially near intersections. These types of conditions usually occur in the spring after heavy sanding of streets during the icy winter months. They can also be the result of summer rains that lead to dirty vehicles and tires dragging mud onto the streets. In the fall leaves pile up in street gutters along with other debris. When these types of materials are left in the streets and gutters they eventually find their way down the storm drains and can plug the storm water pipes. Therefore it is necessary to maintain clean streets.

How Streets Are Cleaned 

The Public Works Department utilizes a mechanical Elgin street sweeper to clean streets. Each spring every street in town is cleaned to remove the ice control materials from the previous winter. The same process occurs each fall to remove the leaves before winter. Streets are cleaned as needed during summer months and prior to certain community events, such as the Chicken Show and the Wayne County Fair. Normal cleaning operations begin at 4 a.m. in the downtown business district so as to clean the street gutters before cars are parked along the curb areas. The state highways passing through town are cleaned before heavy morning commuter traffic occurs. Other streets are also cleaned nearly every time this piece of equipment is utilized. These include Grainland Road and Fairground Avenue where heavy agricultural traffic is prevalent. It also includes Providence Road due to heavy traffic and emergency access to the hospital.

Residential areas are cleaned usually on a rotational basis but prioritized by the amount of material present on the street surface. Older parts of town that are flat and contain more mature trees tend to collect more dirt and sticks in the street gutters and therefore require cleaning more often.

As a rule, the street sweeper passes on every street in town at least three times each year. This process allows Wayne to present a "clean" image to its residents and guests alike.