SweeperNews.com

TYMCO Introduces New Model 210h with hDrive and BlueLogic

2011-02-02T14:02:00.000-06:00

WACO, Texas—February 2, 2011—TYMCO® today introduced the Model 210h™, a Model 210® Parking Lot Sweeper powered by the TYMCO hDrive™ Power System. hDrive is an optimized hydraulic power system that gives Model 210h owners all the simplicity and low maintenance of sweeping without an auxiliary engine. The Model 210h delivers everything Model 210 owners have come to love about the TYMCO Regenerative Air System – air sweeping with a dual chambered pick-up head delivering a powerful air blast to the paved surface and centrifugal dust separation for low
dust emissions.

“The Model 210h is a very capable parking lot sweeper with all of the performance capabilities required by most parking area applications. With the introduction of BlueLogic, we’ve provided streamlined features from the operator and service technician perspectives,” said Robert Hatfield, TYMCO’s Vice President, Sales and Market Development. “The Model 210h further defines True Regenerative Air parking lot sweeping allowing TYMCO owners to get more out of their sweepers while remaining sensitive to the environment.”

It was important for the Engineering Team at TYMCO to introduce a parking lot sweeper with the least amount of compromise on performance while continuing to maintain a high standard of reliability. The performance features on the Model 210h are delivered by a True Regenerative Air System and a large gutter broom. Both of these features are powered by the hDrive Power System which were traditionally powered by an auxiliary engine on the Model 210. In addition, components such as the pick-up head, skids, curtains and brooms are shared with the Model 210, easing fleet integration for current Model 210 owners.

The Model 210h will also come standard with the TYMCO BlueLogic™ Control System. This system first introduced on the TYMCO Model 500x®, assists in troubleshooting potential electrical issues by providing service technicians LED diagnostics for the sweeper. BlueLogic provides intelligent safety features such as raising the gutter broom when the sweeper is put in reverse and turning off the blower when you open the dump door as well as environmental features such as pausing the dust control system when the operator turns off the blower.

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How San Francisco Used City Data to Save $1 Million on Street Cleaning

2011-01-20T14:17:00.001-06:00

The brilliant Code for America project — which connects cash-strapped city governments with cutting-edge web developers to achieve more impact with less money — has updated its blog with a story about how San Francisco used city data to save more than $1 million dollars on street cleaning.

Ed Reiskin, Director of San Francisco’s Public Works department, noticed that some street cleaning trucks were returning with little or no trash on certain days or routes. This compelled Ed to ask for tonnage logs — how much trucks weigh going out vs. how much trucks weigh coming in — to determine how to optimize city cleaning. After about a month of study, Ed’s team concluded that they could find significant savings by re-routing certain routes and reducing others. These changes would help the city to save its money (less gas, parts, and labor) and protect its environment (less pollution and water usage).

As Code for America sees it, this just one of myriad opportunities for cities to “follow the data,” tease out insights, and code better programs to run our cities and states.

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How a street cleaner gave a family back its memories

2010-12-23T14:04:00.002-06:00

Five family albums dumped in a rubbish bin in Western Scotland have been returned to a delighted family - who now live in Israel.

The photos, which include the wedding and barmitzvah pictures of the Shenkin family, were found in Ardrishaig, Argyllshire, around 90 miles from Glasgow, and traced back to relative, Yaron Soifer, whose mother is originally from Glasgow.

Tel Aviv businessman Mr Soifer hopes to receive the photos in time for his mother Lorna's 70th birthday on New Year's Eve - but snow may prevent the albums reaching Israel in time.

The albums might have been lost forever had it not been for a street cleaner discovering them and handing them in to the local police station.

Inspector Neil Wallace alerted the local newspaper. STV reporter Karen Greenshields then ran an appeal on Scottish Television to track down the owners. Mr Soifer's relative Pamela Freedman, 60, recognised her late aunt Mamie Shenkin in the photos and contacted Mr Soifer in Israel.

He is Mrs Shenkin's grandson. His mother, Lorna Soifer, née Shenkin, made aliyah as a young woman and married an American.

Mrs Shenkin, the grande dame of Glasgow Jewry, died last year aged 93, and the albums were lost while sorting through her belongings. Her family lives in Liverpool, Israel and America.

Ms Freedman said: "It was quite a shock at first. A friend saw pictures of my family on TV but the sound was down. She thought we'd been in an accident or something.

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Russia Wants to Build “Sweeper” to Clean up Space Debris

2010-11-30T14:24:00.000-06:00

Russia is looking to build a $2 billion orbital “pod” that would sweep up satellite debris from space around the Earth. According to a post on the Russian Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos’ Facebook site, (which seems to confirm an earlier article by the Interfax news agency) the cleaning satellite would work on nuclear power and be operational for about 15 years. The Russian rocket company, Energia proposes that they would complete the cleaning satellite assembly by 2020 and test the device no later than in 2023.

“The corporation promises to clean up the space in 10 years by collecting about 600 defunct satellites on the same geosynchronous orbit and sinking them into the oceans subsequently,” Victor Sinyavsky from the company was quoted as saying.

Sinyavsky said Energia was also in the process of designing a space interceptor that would to destroy dangerous space objects heading towards the Earth.

No word on exactly how the space debris cleaner would work, of how it would push dead satellites and other debris into a decaying orbit so that objects would burn up in the atmosphere, or if it might somehow gather up or “vacuum” debris. But at least someone is thinking about space debris and asteroid deflection and putting more than just a few rubles (60 billion of ‘em) towards these concepts.

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Chewing gum 'too sticky' a problem, says Spanish government

2010-11-30T13:55:00.001-06:00

The Spanish government has decided that chewing gum is just too sticky, with high costs of street cleaning prompting a move to change the ingredients of the gum.

The Cabinet has agreed to employ a copolymer of vinyl acetate and vinyl laurate as the basis for Spanish gum in a bid to take out some of the gumminess.

The Barcelona authorities estimate that they scrape up 1,800 bits of gum a day from its streets - at a cost of more than €100,000 ($173,822) a year. The city has previously introduced fines of up to €450 for those who litter with used chewing gum.

BV public works breaking in new street sweeper

2010-11-23T14:09:00.001-06:00

BERRYVILLE -- Residents in Berryville may have noticed a new street sweeper making its way along city streets.

It arrived last week, a brand new $100,000 Tymco Air Sweeper that drives down the highway like a truck, but can also sweep, vacuum, spray and dump.

The Berryville City Council recently approved the lease/purchase agreement after Mayor Tim McKinney suggested the sweeper could save the city money on paving costs.

The mayor said Kirby Murray, the public works director, had researched sweepers and found one that fit their needs. He said they test drove "the truck-type" sweeper on Jefferson Avenue, one of the streets that had been recently resurfaced with chip and seal.

Use of smaller gravel in the future, followed by sweeping, will provide a good chip and seal surface, he said, and save the city the expense of laying costlier asphalt.

In addition, he noted that Eureka Springs has operated a similar sweeper from the same company for the past nine years.

He presented the council with several lease/purchase options, suggesting Option 1 that called for no down payment and a four-year annual payment plan at 2.9 percent interest.

He said state turnback money would pay for the unit, priced at $98,500. Payments would be $25,690 annually for four years. The purchase price includes operation and maintenance training.

Traveling to Waco, Texas recently to train on the sweeper were public works employees Keith Adams and Steve Sattler. Both spent three days at Tymco headquarters.

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Nilfisk-Advance Buys Egholm

2010-11-23T14:08:00.001-06:00

The acquisition of Egholm will greatly enhance Nilfisk-Advance’s offering in the outdoor cleaning market, and is expected to result in significant growth in sales from this market. The acquisition will be effective as of January 3, 2011.

“This acquisition allows us to take an important step forward in the outdoor cleaning market, particularly in segments like municipalities, contract cleaners and larger building societies with a need for high quality, multi-purpose outdoor equipment”, says Jørgen Jensen, President and CEO of Nilfisk-Advance. Egholm’s high quality and easily maneuverable machines are a natural extension to our existing product range in the outdoor market.”

Egholm is a successful Danish manufacturer of combined and compact road sweeper and green area maintenance machines with an annual turnover of approx. EUR 20M. The company is located in Lemvig, Denmark and was founded in 1992 by Kaj and Jens Christian Egholm. The company employs 80 people and its products are sold in 14 different European markets. The company specialises in the sub-compact sweeper segment with machines that are very versatile and easy to use. Egholm is recognized as being a leading company in this segment.

The Egholm machines can be equipped with at least 13 different attachments which allow them to cover year round tasks related to green area, winter maintenance and road sweeping in all kinds of weather. This makes them ideal for municipalities, large institutions, building societies, contract cleaners, landscape & green care contractors.

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Schwarze Industries and Enova Systems Set to Develop Fully Electric Green Sweeper for U.S. Air Force

2010-11-22T09:18:00.000-06:00

Schwarze Industries, one of the world’s largest street sweeper and asphalt patcher manufacturers, has partnered with Enova Systems, a leading innovator of electric vehicle and hybrid electric vehicle solutions for medium and heavy-duty trucks and busses, to develop a fully electric green sweeper for the United States Air Force (USAF).

The fully electric green sweeper will be powered by the Enova 120kW all-electric drive system coupled with a hydraulic pump, and will use hydrogen produced by a solar electric array. This advanced drive system will be paired with Schwarze’s proven regenerative air sweeper design. Production will take place at the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Honolulu, Hawaii, where it will be the first advanced sweeper technology used by the USAF.

“We’re excited about the partnership,” said Raymond Massey, Director of Sales and Marketing for Schwarze. “We’ll be sending over an A7000 for the project, and the hope is that this sweeper will become the standard Air Force spec for all sweeping applications.”

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Cleveland woman's car hit by city street sweeper, waited weeks for settlement check

2010-11-17T08:14:00.001-06:00

CLEVELAND - Maggie Jo Massey, of Cleveland, said she's never been in a car accident, that is until March 2009.

Massey said a city of Cleveland street sweeper hit the back passenger side of her vehicle, causing nearly $4,000 in damage.

"It has a lot of torque, it threw my car into another lane," Massey said.

Massey filed a police report and a damage claim with the Cleveland Law Department. More than a year later, her attorney was sent a settlement memorandum on Oct. 15. The city of Cleveland agreed to pay her $7,500 for damage to her vehicle, and lost time at work.

Massey said days later she received an e-mail from her attorney, stating the Cleveland Law Department would issue her settlement check on Oct. 27, but Massey said the settlement check never came in the mail, so she contacted the law department to find out what went wrong.

"The woman who answered the phone told me my settlement was rejected because the city didn't have the funds," Massey said. The next day, Massey contacted 5 On Your Side. Troubleshooter Joe Pagonakis took the case directly to Cleveland Law Director Robert Triozzi.

Triozzi said no one from his department could have told Massey the city didn't have the money to make good on settlements.

"When I sign-off on a settlement, the city is self-insured," said Triozzi, "The city is able to back-up any judgement I would sign-off on."

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Wells Fargo Equipment Finance Teams On Sweeping and Road Maintenance Financing Program

2010-11-17T08:13:00.000-06:00

Schwarze Industries, one of the world’s largest street sweeper and asphalt patcher manufacturers, and Wells Fargo Equipment Finance, Inc. (WFEFI) have teamed up to offer a new financing program for Schwarze sweeping and road maintenance equipment.

“Wells Fargo Equipment Finance is an industry leader in specialty vehicle financing,” said Bob Faulhaber, President of Schwarze Industries. “We are proud to have financing programs with Wells Fargo to offer our customers competitive and flexible financing options, which could be a necessity for some in today’s economy.”

Financial product options with the new program include equipment loans, terminal rental adjustment clause (TRAC) leases, and municipal equipment financing. Terms range in length from 36 to 60 months, and seasonal payments are also available.

WFEFI will also work with Schwarze customers to provide other customized financing solutions in order to meet specific needs. “We want our customers to feel comfortable when purchasing new equipment in an unpredictable economy,” said Faulhaber. “We are confident the financing options this new program provides will help keep their minds at ease.” Up to 100 percent of the net invoice amount can be financed, on approved credit. Credit decisions will typically be made within one business day following WFEFI’s receipt of a completed application for transactions under $175,000. For amounts greater than $175,000, a credit decision can often be made within three business days after receipt of a complete credit application.

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Street sweeper replacement causes minor dust up

2010-11-16T08:33:00.000-06:00

La Grange, IL — La Grange may be getting a new street cleaner but the decision to purchase the $130,000-plus vehicle was not exactly a clean sweep by the village board.

The board approved by a 6-0 vote waiving competitive bids to replace the 2005 Pelican sweeper when it met Nov. 8, but not before Trustee Mark Kuchler requested it be moved from the omnibus agenda for discussion. The purchase price of the Pelican sweeper is $134,456.

Kuchler said he was not convinced the machine did much to keep the streets clean.

“I don’t really understand the purpose of a street sweeper,” he said. “I understand the need in the fall, with the leaves. But the street doesn’t really look any cleaner to me.”

Public Works Director Ryan Gillingham said the sweeper does indeed pick up a lot of debris, especially when used in conjunction with the street blowers workers use in the downtown business district to move debris into the streets for the street sweeper to pick up.

“We are constantly hauling away material the sweeper picks up,” Gillingham said.

Village Manager Robert Pilipisizyn said the machine’s other important purpose was to keep street and leaf debris from falling through sewer grates and getting into the sewer system.

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A Leaf Falls in Western Springs—And Then What?

2010-11-15T14:24:00.000-06:00

Western Springs wouldn't be Western Springs without its trees: lush, green foliage lining our streets and accenting our parks. Come autumn, however, that does present a certain problem.

"We are Tree City USA," said Bill Nelson, Western Springs Director of Municipal Services. "We enjoy all the benefits that trees give us, but obviously, this time of year, it gets to be very expensive [for individuals] to dispose of [leaves.]"

Or, rather, it would get expensive. In Western Springs, it's free, thanks to the village's well-developed leaf-collection program. For two months, the Public Works department devotes a full 80 percent of their resources to purging the streets of fallen leaves, hitting the streets as early at 5:30 a.m. with a bevy of specialized equipment and working straight to sunset.

Leaves do not magically evaporate from the gutters of the village. Their removal is a service with a history of experimentation that has developed into a well-greased machine—if one that still encounters the occasional frustration

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Hull using new street sweeper

2010-11-04T09:16:00.000-05:00

Hull has resumed street sweeping, using a new sweeper.

Public Works Director Joseph Stigliani said a 13-year-old sweeper was removed from service in July after repairing it was ruled out as too costly.

Selectmen were later able to obtain state Highway Department approval to use Chapter 90 money to buy a 2011 Elgin mechanical sweeper – a less expensive alternative to repairing the old sweeper.

Most areas in the southeastern part of town, including Atlantic Avenue, the Annex, Hampton Hill, Strawberry Hill, Sunset Point and the Rockaway area, have been swept at least once.

This week’s plans call for sweeping Strawberry Hill and beginning work on Manomet and Samoset avenues and side roads in the area.

Street sweeping is called for as a pollution-prevention measure in a plan for handling storm water in Hull.

For more information on street sweeping or to schedule a pickup of swept sand at the side of any town road, call the public works department at 617-925-0900.

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Street sweeper getaway doesn't work out for Marion man

2010-11-03T15:38:00.000-05:00

Marion, Ill. — A man who was trying to elude police thought stealing a street sweeper would lead to a quick getaway. He was wrong.

Richard L. Smith, 27 of Marion, was arrested Tuesday night after driving off in a street sweeper that was parked in the Kroger parking lot. Police captured Smith after after a brief low-speed chase.

A resident neighboring the store had reported to police that a man was hiding under a porch. When police responded, Smith fled from police and eventually jumped into the street sweeper's cab.

The sweeper belongs to BW Maintenance of Benton, which contracts to clean Kroger's parking lot. Kroger manager Jim Clark said the maintenance employee had left the sweeper running while he was using a leaf blower to clean parts of the lot.

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Machine Sucks Up Trash, Underwear In Downtown Tulsa

2010-11-03T14:37:00.000-05:00

TULSA, Oklahoma -- An unusual looking machine is roaming the streets of downtown Tulsa.

It's a high powered riding vacuum called MADVAC, that keeps downtown Tulsa free of litter and lost underwear?

The vacuum is operated by Unlimited Sweepers and Cleaners, the company with the contract to keep downtown clean.

"I've had people stop and want one for the house," said Shane Butts, MADVAC operator. Butts says they lose interest when they find out the thing cost $45,000.

They have had the contract to clean up downtown for about a year and a half.

Here's how it works: The city is divided into four quadrants, he spends a week in each one and the core area of downtown every day.

"A lot more foot traffic and that's what they want cleaned up so I'm assuming that's why we do it on a daily basis," Butts said.

The container that sits behind him holds the trash, there's always something unusual in there.

"The worst thing I sucked up so far was an open can of tuna in the middle of summer, didn't take long to figure it was back there," he said.

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City reduces street sweeping in cost-cutting move

2010-11-01T08:22:00.000-05:00

WOODBURN — Further cuts to Woodburn’s street maintenance budget have forced the city to reduce how often it sweeps the streets downtown.

According to Public Works Director Dan Brown, crews formerly swept the downtown roads every week but switched to bimonthly in July.

With autumn in full swing, they are now keeping an eye on the leaf situation, Brown said.

“It’s very intense here downtown,” he said. “Literally, you could sweep the streets every day down here when the leaves are falling. … Other neighborhoods don’t have the same intensity of leaves dropping that we do.”

Because of that, crews are monitoring whether or not the new schedule is feasible to maintain during the fall. Brown said they may have to switch back during those months.

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Dulveco heavy industry line

2010-11-01T08:21:00.000-05:00

The Dulevo heavy duty sweepers range from robust walk behind sweepers for hard reach areas through to the large capacity 200 and 5000 models shown. Each Dulevo sweeper can be tailored to any customers' specific needs. An investment in any Dulevo will ensure perfect dust control without the use of water.

If a clean facility is the desired outcome, look no further than Dulevo: a name you can trust!

Dulevo International appeals to the heavy industry market as well as mining sector as the only proven manufacturer of a dry sweeping system, thanks to its patented mechanical-suction collection system.

Dulevo's system benefits the end user by :
• Achieving a higher standard of plant cleanliness
• Up to three times higher speed cleaning compared to any other sweeper on the market
• A completely dry sweeping which permits a total reclaim of the picked up material
• Saving huge sums of time and money in labour costs
• Absolute adherence to modern environmental laws

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Schwarze Set to Attend National Pavement Expo West

2010-10-29T08:11:00.001-05:00

HUNTSVILLE, AL - Schwarze Industries, one of the world's largest street sweeper and asphalt patcher manufacturers, is geared up to attend the 2010 National Pavement Expo West December 9-11, 2010 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Schwarze will be offering new information pertaining to their recent redesign of the Schwarze SP550 Velocity Asphalt Spraypatcher, as well as information on their complete line of parking area and street sweepers.

"We're always excited anytime we get a chance to showcase Schwarze and our products to potential business partners," said Raymond Massey, Director of Sales and Marketing for Schwarze. "Our goal is to get out there and show them that we can help strengthen their business and work more efficiently."

Schwarze will be setup at booth #515 on December 10 from 10:30am to 5:00pm and December 11 from 10:00am to 2:00pm.

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Great Falls leaf pickup starts Friday

2010-10-27T14:57:00.000-05:00

The City of Great Falls’ Leaf Pickup Program is scheduled to begin on Friday, October 29, 2010 and continue through Monday, November 22, 2010.

For those residing within the Boulevard District, the Natural Resources Division will vacuum leaves from the Boulevards beginning with the city’s Upper North Side and continuing westward through the Boulevard District area. The City Street Division will be sweeping streets in conjunction with the leaf pick-up.

Residents within the Boulevard District area are being requested to deposit leaves on the boulevard next to the curb and not in the street gutter. Please do not place leaf piles in the street gutter since rain and vehicles driving on the piles make it impossible to clean up the leaves. Branches, grass clippings, garden waste and other yard waste will not be picked up. Please arrange for pickup with your sanitation provider.

Streets and Avenues in each area will be cleaned on alternate days. Please remove vehicles from the street or avenue on the scheduled pick-up day to allow for vacuuming as well as street sweeping.

It is anticipated that the schedule may change due to weather conditions and residents are asked to watch the Great Falls Tribune for daily changes and updates. The schedule and updates will also be on the City of Great Falls website.

Attached is the 2010 Leaf Pick-up schedule for the Boulevard District. For further information, contact the Park and Recreation Department, Natural Resources Division at 771-1265.

For those residing outside the Boulevard District, City Sanitation customers wishing to discard of leaves, on their regular garbage collection day should bag or box these materials and put them out for collections. Please do not place leaves in City garbage containers. For further information, contact the City Sanitation Division at 771-1401.

All leaves collected in the Boulevard District are recycled into compost and other soil products.

Cleaning of 1,100 Miles of Streets Begins in Minneapolis

2010-10-26T15:03:00.001-05:00

Street sweeping is set to begin Tuesday in Minneapolis as crews will work to clean 1,100 miles of streets curb-to-curb.

Residents and drivers in Minneapolis will notice temporary no parking signs that will be posted at least 24 hours in advance.

On the day a street is cleaned, parking will be banned from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., according to the city.

The city says it will make about 3,500 automated calls to residents the evening before a street is cleaned.

To lookup when your street will be cleaned, click here.

Buncombe GOP: Sweep out the Democrats

2010-10-25T08:16:00.002-05:00

The Buncombe County GOP recently released a video that urges voters to “sweep out the Democrats.” The video features chairman Chad Nesbitt driving a street-sweeper truck covered with local Republican candidate campaign signs and honking his horn at Democrats gathered for an early voting rally.

“Small business guys don’t have a chance: the leadership of the Democratic Party has taxed us to death, they have regulated us to death, and it’s time for the business people to stand up,” says Nesbitt in the video. “Get out and early vote.”

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Prior Lake, university conducting study on street sweeping, lake pollution

2010-10-25T08:16:00.001-05:00

Seen the street sweeper in your neighborhood a little too much for comfort lately?

The city of Prior Lake, in conjunction with the University of Minnesota, is conducting a study on how much street sweeping helps prevent lake pollution.

The study is aimed at determining the cost-effectiveness – and the usefulness – of removing leaves and debris from streets as a way to keep phosphorus and other pollutants from reaching the lakes.

A $286,000 grant from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) will help the city make those determinations, which eventually could benefit cities throughout the state. The city also received $3,000 from the Scott Watershed Management Organization and will get $27,000 over a three-year period from the Prior Lake-Spring Lake Watershed District.

The study will help the city to identify the least-expensive street sweeping plan for the future and decide on which areas to focus its efforts, said Public Works Director Steve Albrecht.

“We are hopeful it will show that sweeping can prevent phosphorus from entering our waters at between $50 and $75 per pound, which is substantially less than removing it from water bodies once it is already there,” Albrecht said. “Those types of operations cost several hundreds of dollars per pound of removal.”

Phosphorus and other nutrients are identified among the main causes of poor lake water quality. The state Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) “impaired” water bodies list identifies lakes that have high levels of phosphorus, which causes the growth of algae and invasive plants.

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Elgin Sweeper Introduces Crosswind Glycol Recovery Sweeper

2010-10-21T18:10:00.000-05:00

Elgin Sweeper recently introduced a glycol recovery sweeper (GRS) option for the Crosswind® high-performance regenerative air sweeper. The optional model includes all the sweeping performance, maintenance and design features of the Crosswind sweeper, which has been popular with users worldwide for more than 20 years. The Crosswind GRS is ideal for efficient sweeping and removal of debris and environmentally damaging glycol and other deicing fluid runoff on airways and gate locations before it migrates into the ecosystem.

"Elgin Sweeper customers are looking for equipment to help them comply with tough environmental regulations year-round," said Brian Giles, sweeper product manager at Elgin Sweeper. "We're confident the versatility of the Crosswind GRS model will not only help airports comply with rigorous standards for controlling glycol and other deicing fluid run-off, it will revolutionize the way they manage their cleaning equipment use through the ability to sweep debris and remove glycol with the same piece of equipment."

According to Giles, the optional model doesn’t require any modifications when switching from sweeping debris from runways and taxiways throughout the year to glycol removal in snow and ice conditions.

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Press Release: Fall Leaf Removal Information

2010-10-21T16:50:00.000-05:00

Received from: City of Fayetteville

For Immediate Release

October 20th, 2010

Contact: Brian Pugh
Waste Reduction Coordinator
Fayetteville Solid Waste and Recycling
479-718-7685

FALL LEAF REMOVAL INFORMATION

Fayetteville AR- Each fall Fayetteville experiences a large volume of leaf waste which can cause some problems for homeowners. The City receives numerous calls to use the street sweeper to remove the leaves. The City of Fayetteville does not remove leaves curbside with the use of the City’s street sweeper as this equipment was not designed to collect and remove leaves for yardwaste disposal. Depositing leaves in the street could result in clogged storm drains which, in turn, could lead to flooding of personal property. Also, it is illegal for the City to dispose of yardwaste in an Arkansas landfill.

Homeowners have the responsibility to properly manage leaves in accordance with the City rules regarding yardwaste removal. The City has a composting program that collects leaves and other properly-prepared yardwaste weekly as part of the normal solid waste collection program. The material is then used as feedstock for the City’s composting program. Leaves must either be placed in 30 gallon paper bags, which can be purchased at local retail stores, or in unlined trash cans properly marked “yardwaste” if the customer chooses to participate in the yard waste collection program. Plastic biodegradable bags are not approved by the City and should not be used for collection with the composting program. Collection occurs the same day as normal Solid Waste collection and must be placed curbside by 5:00 a.m.

The Composting facility is also available for residents to bring the leaves in for composting. There is no charge to bring in leaves for Fayetteville residents. Leaves must be emptied out of plastic bags if brought to the site. The Compost Facility is located at 1708 S. Armstrong Ave. in southeast Fayetteville right next to the Animal Shelter.

Other options for disposal of leaves include “backyard composting.” Information on “backyard composting” is available from Brian Pugh at 718-7685 or bpugh@ci.fayetteville.ar.us. Thank you so much for your community effort to properly dispose of leaves and keep our waterways and gutters clean, and we wish you a wonderful fall season.

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Newark sanitation workers protest layoffs, ask city residents for support

2010-10-21T15:12:00.002-05:00

NEWARK — Hauling hundreds of tons of trash each week is one of the city’s lowest-paying jobs, but it has kept food on the table for scores of Newark workers, and some say it’s kept them out of jail.

Yesterday, 40 Newark sanitation workers gathered in the pre-dawn darkness of the city’s South Ward offering to collect trash on a designated furlough day. They wanted to work for free, they said, and send a message.

In three weeks, the furloughed workers will lose their jobs permanently, victims of the city’s fiscal crisis that has wrought an $83 million deficit this year with a more than $100 million shortfall expected next year.

"I’m 60 years old. Where the hell am I supposed to go now? I’ve worked all my life. Old as I am, I’m walking around scared," said James Bass, a Newark sanitation worker for 21 years.

But shuttered steel gates kept the men from their idle trucks lined up in the garage Wednesday. Because of state-mandated furlough regulations, it would have been illegal for the city to allow them to work.

Instead, Bass and his co-workers urged fellow residents to show them some support. "We’re the ones that keep it clean for them. They’re the ones who need to come out," he said.

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Financial constraints may defer sweeper purchase

2010-10-20T15:53:00.001-05:00

In times of financial constraint, should we be looking at replacing our old equipment?

That was the pre-eminent question that council wondered following Director of Engineering and Public Works Michael Glavin’s presentation last Tuesday, outlining the current condition of their sweeper, and replacement quotes received.

“Our old one has a major mechanical problem,” Glavin said. “It was pulled off the road because of it.”

The old one has broken springs, with an estimated repair bill of $5,000. Glavin said he has been told by his mechanic that to repair it the dealer would have to manufacture the spring, as stock parts are unavailable.

A list of 27 replacements was short-listed to six, Glavin said. The one he was recommending, pending a mechanical overview by the district mechanic, is a 2005 Eglin Crosswind J+ Regeneration sweeper, with a price tag of $87,000.

A regeneration unit is slightly different from a general sweeper unit, Glavin said. Instead of sweeping road dust to the back of the vehicle, where it is sucked in by two vents, the regeneration unit has larger sweeper arms, and one continuous vent that acts more like a vacuum, pulling the dirt and debris off the road.

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Burlington mall gets surprise customer: a deer

2010-10-20T15:52:00.001-05:00

BURLINGTON (MCT) — A deer pushed its way into the Holly Hill Mall on Tuesday morning.

While no one expected to see a deer in the mall — especially two months before Christmas — no one was injured and the deer was escorted out without incident.

The deer entered the mall through the door near Main Event on the Huffman Mill Road side of the building.

Kent Frederickson, the mall's operations manager, was outside sweeping the parking lot at about 8 a.m. when he saw the deer enter the front door. He corralled the deer in a fire corridor for about 20 minutes.

When police arrived, the deer was released. It went out the front door and ran across the street into a residential neighborhood. The deer wasn't hurt.

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Victim Speaks About Crash on Hwy 75 in Van Alstyne

2010-10-20T08:07:00.000-05:00

VAN ALSTYNE, TX -- Three car pile up shuts down highway 75 for more than eight hours. Two victims were taken to area hospitals. Deeda Payton spoke with one of the victims of Monday's crash shortly after being released from a McKinney hospital.

Jesse Thomas says he is blessed that he has only minor bumps and bruises and blessed that his brother is still alive. while he gives all the glory to god, he says he is also grateful to the crash cushion on the back of the vehicles they were both driving.

It's no secret that highway road crews have a dangerous job, but it's hard to believe a work day could end like this. "I was driving a pilot truck with all the lights on it with all the flashers and everything to make sure that we keep the traffic away from the street sweeper and all of a sudden I heard a bang," said Jesse Thomas, a contracted worker for the Texas Department of Transportation.

Thomas was rear-ended while following a street sweeper on highway 75. An 18-wheeler traveling about 65 miles per hour and weighing roughly 80,000 pounds hit the TXDOT vehicle behind Thomas which then crashed into his vehicle. "It hit me so hard if I hadn't had my seatbelt I would have went through the windshield," said Thomas.

Thomas' brother, Michael, was driving the truck that was caught in the pileup. He was found in a ditch. "I had just lost a brother in February and when I looked at him I said oh man there goes another one and but when he started moving I felt better," said Thomas.

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Man Dies in Street Sweeper Crash in Midland

2010-10-14T15:36:00.000-05:00

Midland, TX - Sources say a 34-year-old man riding in a street sweeper was killed after being hit by a possible drunk driver in Midland overnight.
It happened at the corner of Illinois and Powell Street around 3:00 this morning.
We are told a silver SUV ran a stop sign while heading north on Powell and hit a street sweeper from behind.
Two people from the s-u-v and one person from the sweeper were sent to the hospital.
Sources say 34 year-old Ronnie Lee Randolph was ejected from the sweeper and found underneath it when police arrived.
Sources also tell us the driver of the SUV that hit the sweeper was arrested for drunk driving...
The investigation continues.

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Leaf Pick-up to Begin Despite Tight Budget

2010-10-13T08:27:00.000-05:00

The City of Zanesville will begin their yearly leaf pick-up efforts in November, but that means that street sweeping will end early.

The Public Service Department will be collecting leaves starting November 1 through December 10.

"It's going to be tougher this year because we do have a very tight budget so in order to be able to accommodate picking up leaves we're going to top the street sweeper a little bit early this year. That fuel money can be transferred and utilized for the leaf pick-up," says Public Service Director, Mike Sims.

Sims says the city will not be able to prolong their leaf pick-up efforts past December 10.

"If you wait until the very last moment, we probably will not be able to extend beyond December 10 just because of the budget issues and we have to get the trucks ready for snow plows."

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Vacuum Trucks Help New Surfaces Go With The Flow

2010-10-08T14:54:00.001-05:00

Who hasn’t been stuck in a downpour?
While those of us lucky enough to have an umbrella are scrambling to get it open, it is what is happening at the other end that can be especially irritating. Rainfall from gutters, side streets, and curbs suddenly washes over our feet, dumping gallons of water down sidewalks and streets and alleyways. Aside from soaking shoes, that same rain collects pollutants, particulates, and grit and efficiently washes it into storm sewers—and that can be a big problem. The federal government has made it clear that municipalities have to cut the amount of runoff going into overloaded sewer treatment plants. When sewer treatment plants are inundated with rainfall, polluted overflow ends up in streams and lakes.

One solution, and an option that has gained a foothold in some parts of the country, is the installation of pervious pavement that is specially designed to allow rain to seep into the ground, naturally filtering particulates and pollutants.

The pervious surface would seem like a perfect way to eliminate storm sewer overflows at septic plants, but there is only one problem. That same surface that allows rainfall to seep through can also get clogged with sediment, sand, and even larger pieces of trash. As a result, the surface is opening up a new market for vacuum street sweepers. In fact, Brian Giles of Elgin Sweepers in Elgin, Illinois, shared that his company is working with the Environmental Protection Agency, engineers, universities, and municipalities to see how pure vacuum sweepers can work in conjunction with other sweepers to maintain and restore the permeability of this new style of pavement.

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Recycled Road Sweeper Waste - Gritbuster Turns Costs into Opportunities

2010-10-06T14:45:00.002-05:00

Siltbuster Limited, a UK based mobile solids and liquid separation specialist, is reporting positive initial results from the first deployments of its new Gritbuster mobile waste processing plant for the treatment and recycling of road sweeper and gully waste.

The waste collected by road sweepers typically contains between 60% and 75% gravel and sand sized particles which, when reclaimed, can be put to beneficial use as a recycled aggregate or inert fill, turning what was waste into a significant commercial opportunity.

To date, the vast majority of this waste stream has ended up in landfill, with little thought to recovery. The Gritbuster treatment system, however, will enable local authorities, waste management companies and road sweeping firms to reduce costs, minimise and divert waste from landfill, and achieve recycling targets by maximising their recycling efforts.

Designed to process up to 10 to 15 tonnes per hour and a range of feed consistencies, the process separates, washes and dewaters solids, and offers water treatment and full recycling capabilities, in a compact system unlike anything seen in the market before.

Processing starts with road sweepings and gully arisings being tipped into the Gritbuster's main reception hopper, either straight from the trucks or by loading shovel from bulk material stockpiles. From here, the material is transferred by bucket wheel into a rotating trommel screen to be washed.

The material is then separated into an oversize (+10 mm) material and smaller (-10mm) fraction. The oversize material typically contains the larger gravel-like material and the usual road debris e.g. bottles, coke cans, broken number plates, leaves, etc. Once separated, it is conveyed out of the machine.

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Did you know... About Schwarze Industries.

2010-10-06T09:52:00.001-05:00

Kitsap's New Trucks Making a Clean Sweep of Roadways

2010-10-06T08:12:00.000-05:00

PORT ORCHARD — Kitsap County has purchased two new street sweeping trucks that promise to significantly reduce pollution from roadways.

In a year, county staff estimate, the powerful vacuum sweepers will suck up between 37 and 63 tons of roadside sediment, containing between 10 to 33 pounds of toxic metals and pollutants.

That may not sound like much, but even a small amount can be hazardous to fish, and humans.

The numbers are rough, because the technology behind the trucks in relatively new. Kitsap County is one of the first in Washington to put the “state-of-the-art” equipment to work, said Chris May, director of Kitsap County’s Surface and Stormwater Management Program.

The two trucks replace other street sweepers that outlived their effectiveness, said Don Schultz, road superintendent for Public Works. The total cost, $418,063, was paid in part by a $50,000 water quality grant from the state’s Department of Ecology and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

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Streetsweep Nothing to brush off

2010-10-05T15:47:00.001-05:00

It couldn’t look easier from the driver’s seat of anyone stuck behind them.

A city employee perches in the cab of a streetsweeper, sitting all day, puttering up and down Lubbock’s busiest streets at speeds you’d think a guy with a broom could have a fair shot at racing. They always seem to appear when drivers have somewhere they really need to go.

But atop that whirl of bristles and dust sits a mechanic tending an array of hoses, bearings and pumps as dizzying as the spinning brooms sweeping debris into its belly.

“You never learn it all,” said Juan Mata, who has manned the machines scrubbing Lubbock streets for almost three decades. “I think the reason I stayed here was because it was challenging.”

Lubbock’s 11 streetsweepers keep the city’s storm drainage system flowing and out of trouble with federal regulators. Spinning steel bristles, bent and hammered into the brooms by the hands of the same workers driving in the machines, scrape away Bermuda grass trying to bust up the asphalt and debris waiting to wash into the stormwater system with the next rain.

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What's that sucking sound in town?

2010-10-05T14:53:00.003-05:00

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa.- A humming, sucking sound takes to the streets around New Wilmington this time of year and if you can track down the source you will find it comes from an unusual truck.

Kids in the town call it "Suffy"-- short for the longer nickname Snuffleupagus (a reference to a Sesame Street character). It's really a converted street sweeping truck that now sucks up leaves along borough streets. The Borough picks up leaves from residents who rake them into the gutter and it's all free of charge-- one of the perks of living in New Wilmington.

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How sweep it is - With high-tech sweeper, Kansas racer cleans up when things get down and dirty

2010-10-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Some drivers know the highs and lows of racing. When it comes to Kansas Speedway, Jeff Miles knows the fasts and slows.

A veteran late-model racer, Miles turns laps at 170 mph as an instructor for the Richard Petty Driving Experience. And on race weekends, he keeps things well under the speed limit as the driver of the new Elgin Crosswind Specialty Track Sweeper, cleaning up after trouble on the track.

For example, when Greg Biffle spun during Saturday's Sprint Cup practice, Miles and the Crosswind were called into duty. Parked on the inside of Turn 4 near the entrance to pit road, Miles was able to quickly blow grass and debris off the track and apron, allowing NASCAR to get back to green-flag racing within minutes.

Between running a race car and the sweeper, Miles estimates he's made at least 70,000 laps around the 1.5-mile Kansas oval.

"It's basically a street sweeper on steroids," Miles said. "This is a high-investment machine in today's economy. It's hard for somebody to buy a quarter-million dollar machine like this, so Elgin stepped up to the plate and built this machine."

Miles, who turns 40 later this year, grew up in Kansas City and lives only a few blocks from the track. He manages Key Equipment & Supply Co., which happens to be a dealer for Elgin products. And it was that specific expertise that caused both Kansas Speedway and NASCAR to ask for his advice.

"We know street sweepers," Miles said. "That's my life. I do that every day. So I come in and run it during race events. And now NASCAR has looked at [our operation] and is trying to determine how to do it at other tracks.

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Manteca replacing aging, dirty running street sweepers with $500,000 grant

2010-10-04T10:20:00.000-05:00

Sweeping Manteca’s streets will soon be done with clean machines.

The City Council Tuesday is expected to call for bids to purchase two new street sweepers for a cost expected to come under $500,000. The council meets at 7 p.m. at The Civic Center, 1001 W. Center St.

The city’s two aging street sweepers are in need of replacement. They also don’t meet the more stringent air quality standards just as the aging garbage trucks don’t.

However, it won’t cost the city a penny to replace the street sweepers.

That’s because both are being funded with a $500,000 Congestion Mitigation & Air Quality grant from the state.

The city has sufficient funds in its solid waste account to cover the cost of the diesel-powered trucks that will have cleaning burning engines. Once the city receives the state funds, it will reimburse the sewer account.

Street sweeping was removed from the street division in the general fund and placed in the solid waste collection division operated using an enterprise account last year after an independent legal opinion determined that 97 percent of the costs could be attributed to the removal of debris. That move also shifted the salaries of two street sweepers from the cash-strapped general fund to the enterprise account that is covered by rates paid by users of the municipal garbage collection service.

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In North End, a drive against trash

2010-10-04T08:16:00.001-05:00

During the four months that street sweeping pauses for winter, the city accumulates mounds of dirt and junk, often making streets and sidewalks a dining room for hungry rodents.

The problem, perhaps, plagues the North End more than any other city neighborhood, given its high density of residents, the many restaurants, and the constant foot traffic from thousands of tourists.

To try to fight the build-up of trash and the glut of rats, city officials this week began posting notices throughout the community that they plan to begin a pilot program — the first of its kind in any Boston neighborhood — to extend street sweeping throughout the year.

The additional sweeping means more tickets and more towing of illegally parked cars, news that sparked mixed feelings in a neighborhood where parking is at a premium and meter maids often seem to be as abundant and wily as the rodents.

“That’s tough news to take," said Al bie Figaratto, 58, who has lived in the neighborhood for 12 years and has spent that long fighting for parking. “The one consolation of winter, you could say, is that it’s easier to park. This is going to hurt the residents."

City officials said they are responding to complaints from residents, who last winter deluged City Hall with reports of rats and pictures of pizza boxes, cups, plates, and other refuse, which all too often freeze to the ground.

Joanne Massaro, commissioner of the Public Works Department, said the program will begin Dec. 1, when street sweeping normally stops until April 1. She said city officials plan to meet residents in the next few weeks and hang signs to make them aware of the change.

“The impetus for this was the neighborhood’s concern about cleanliness and rodents, she said." “We don’t have many tools, but one is street sweeping. We thought we would try a year-round approach to see if that would help. We’ll see how it works."

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Crash seriously injures ODOT worker

2010-09-30T14:58:00.001-05:00

An Oregon Department of Transportation worker was seriously injured on the job Wednesday night after a vehicle being driving by a juvenile veered off the road and crashed through a construction barricade, Salem Police said this morning.

The incident happened just past 9 p.m. at the intersection of Kuebler Road SE and Interstate 5.

Investigators say a 17-year-old male was driving a 1999 Honda while reportedly intoxicated, when he lost consciousness at the wheel, sending the vehicle through the barricade, stricking the ODOT worker and then crashing into a street sweeping machine.

Authorities have not released the name of the injured ODOT worker but say he suffered severe injuries.

The 17-year-old male also was taken to the hospital, but so far the extent of his injuries are not known.

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Lansdale buying a new street sweeper

2010-09-28T15:56:00.000-05:00

LANSDALE — The borough's streets and wastewater will be a bit cleaner soon, thanks to several purchases approved by borough council.

Council has approved the purchases of a new street sweeper, a new salt spreader, and several needed replacements at the borough's Wastewater Treatment Plant, mostly funded by the general obligation bond council took out earlier this year.

According to borough Utilities Director Jake Ziegler, the purchase of the new street sweeper will be funded with approximately $120,000 from the borough's Liquid Fuels fund and about $125,000 from the general obligation bond.

"The way our projects in the borough are scheduled, this year we're doing a lot of utility work and the like, so we're not really spending a lot of our Liquid Fuels money this year," Ziegler said.

That funding gets replenished each year and is based on state gasoline taxes, council President Matt West pointed out, before encouraging all present to keep on buying gasoline.

That purchase was approved by a 9-0 vote of council, as was a purchase of a new salt spreader for the borough; both will be carried out through the COSTARS state contract program.

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Paperwork requirement will hurt small businesses

2010-09-28T15:18:00.001-05:00

Do the citizens of Cape Coral know that when Congress passed the Health Care Reform Act last March, they inserted a seemingly insignificant section that will eventually have sweeping implications? It will increase the accountability for all Cape Coral business taxpayers to keep accurate records and make it more difficult for business to claim improper business expenses to offset revenues during the tax year starting in 2012. Specifically Section 9006, which amends Section 6041 of the IRS Code, of this act places an additional paperwork burden upon all business. In particular, there a new requirement for businesses to collect tax ID numbers and other information from every goods or service vendor, whether individual or corporation. In addition, businesses will be required to issue IRS Form 1099 for purchases that have a cumulative yearly total of over $600. An annual report of all 1099 issued will of course need to be sent to the IRS. A business man will also be receiving a 1099 from each business to which you sold over $600 of goods or services.

Just imagine the average Cape Coral lawn mower service having to give to Wal Mart a form 1099 for the $600 of gas he purchased in 2012. Just imagine the real estate agent needing to give a 1099 to a sign company for his real estate signs. Just imagine the average construction sub contractor needing to give to Home Depot a 1099 for the supplies and tools he purchases during a year. Just imagine any small business man having to give to B-J's, Lowe's, 7-11, Ford, Lee County Electric, IBM, Lee Memorial Hospital, State Farm Insurance, The Cape Coral Breeze, and on and on a 1099 for the purchase of goods or services.

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Hako present ride-on vacuum sweeper for warehouse and at logistics environments IMHX 2010

2010-09-28T10:53:00.000-05:00

Leading cleaning machine manufacturer Hako will showcase its latest high performance cost effective solutions at this year's IMHX. The powerful Jonas 1500 ride-on vacuum sweeper will line up alongside the extremely versatile B1050c combined sweeper scrubber.

Both machines are designed to tackle a magnitude of cleaning tasks in all types of areas and under the most difficult of conditions, making them two of the most economical machines on the market. Other key equipment for the warehouse and logistics environment will also be on display on the Hako stand (Hall 20, stand 20F23).

As one of the leading manufacturers worldwide, Hako has unrivalled environmental credentials and had invested heavily in a formidable service package that offers complete real time updates and full customer transparency.

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Pelican Engineering adds Italian road sweeper franchise

2010-09-27T16:46:00.001-05:00

Castleford-based dealer Pelican Engineering has added the Dulevo franchise, which offers Italian-built road sweepers, to its books.

Ken Grindrod, sales director for the dealership, says the Dulevo line-up offers road sweepers that are quicker and cleaner than traditional vehicles. "These road sweepers can sweep at 20mph, which is much faster than the traditional road sweeper that operates at around 5mpg," he says. This means a council would need fewer road sweepers.

The line up includes the 850 Mini, which can sweep in pedestrian areas, right through to the 5000 series for roads.

"It is also cleaner," says Grindrod. "Traditional road sweepers use a huge amount of water on the road to reduce the spread of dust particles. The operator then has to get rid of the dirty and contaminated water, which is very expensive.

"The Dulevo system uses less water and a filter system, so the dust (collected from the road) is dry when it comes out of the hopper, and can be put straight into a skip."

Interest has already been received from universities, councils and construction companies. "We do a lot of tendering with municipal vehicles, so we have a lot of contacts in local authority and council departments."

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Calm after the storm

2010-09-27T08:45:00.000-05:00

Although the rains have stopped, Austin area residents may be affected by the flood for several weeks to come. Many businesses and homes were left with little to no damage, however.

Several homes along Turtle Creek had their backyards flooded Friday afternoon. According to Police Chief Brian Krueger, several apartments in the area of the 1200 block of Second Drive NE were in danger of possible flood damage. Krueger said police suggested that residents living in those apartments evacuate on Thursday night, but the evacuation call was just a suggestion. Only a handful of homes around the community were significantly damaged by Thursday and Friday’s flood.

“There was a family that needed assistance,” said Elaine Hansen, executive director of the Mower County Red Cross. According to Hansen, the family’s home, in the Wild Woods Park neighborhood near Hormel Corporate Office was flooded out. The family has been put up in a motel.

MCRC opened a relief shelter at St. Olaf Lutheran Church Friday morning as well. Only six people total went to the shelter, however, all arriving after noon, and the shelter was waiting for official word to shut down operations by 3:45 p.m., according to Red Cross workers there.

Many people watched and took pictures of the Cedar River, Turtle Creek and other overflowing bodies of water during the day Friday.

Despite light rain Saturday, crews began street sweeping, clearing debris and cleaning up around town as the flood waters slowly receded.

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Boston street sweeper attacked at work

2010-09-24T16:45:00.000-05:00

BOSTON -- A street cleaner was attacked early Friday morning for no apparent reason.

Police were called around 1 a.m. Friday morning to find a street sweeper sitting on a curb. The man had been beaten around the upper body and also had a football thrown at his face.

Peiro Procopio, 26, and 23-year-old Craig Strasnick tried their best to hide their faces while in court on Friday. They are being charged with attacking a street sweeper who was simply trying to do his job.

“The kid swung from the right side and hit me in my eye,” said Warren McMaster. “I have bruises on my arm. I had a big punch mark on the back of my back.”

The 20-year-old was driving his street cleaning machine near Sudbury Street and Service Road Downtown when the suspects allegedly blocked his path with their white Cadillac Escalade and attacked him.

“This kid went around the sweeper and this one kid through a football at me and I didn’t see the other kid. He blind-sided me in my eye. This other kid hit me with a hammer. I was attacked, viciously attacked.”

McMaster does not know why they attacked him.

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Sound Stormwater Investments

2010-09-24T16:44:00.000-05:00

In response to the sluggish economy, Seattle Public Utilities is paring down its budgets and programs, and has identified three stormwater-related projects that could be eliminated: the “Swale on Yale,” protections for Venema Creek, and an expanded street sweeping program. While these projects require some expenditure now, they represent opportunities and investments that can pay dividends in the near future.

All three projects promise to make the city cleaner and more livable. The two capital improvements would create engineering, construction, and landscape jobs. They would also help Seattle comply with numerous regulatory obligations, from the federal Clean Water Act to salmon recovery projects required by the Endangered Species Act. And they would better prepare Seattle for climate changes that are expected to include an increase in heavy rainstorms.

Times are undeniably tough economically, but Seattle should not forget the importance of investing in stormwater projects that will benefit the city over the coming years and decades.

All three projects include the construction of natural drainage systems, also called low-impact development (LID). The idea behind LID is to replace conventional “gray” drainage infrastructure of downspouts, ditches, and gutters that speeds polluted rainwater to our streams and lakes with a “green” system that helps runoff evaporate or soak into the earth, filtering and cleaning the water.

Local and national studies have concluded that LID is the smart investment financially, most often costing less upfront than traditional stormwater systems, and also providing better environmental protection, increased property values, and benefits to human health.

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Wayne Sweepers Unveils New Truck at International Trade Show

2010-09-23T15:31:00.002-05:00

Munich, Germany - Wayne Sweepers, LLC unveiled an adaptation of its Gladiator mechanical broom sweeper at IFAT ENTSORGA on September 13th, 2010.

The new street sweeper, named the Walter Power Sweeper, is targeted towards milling and construction applications in the European market. It is a single engine sweeper mounted on a Scania chassis with hydrostatic drive. Additionally, the unit features a powerful front broom mounted on the chassis bumper.

Walter & Co GmbH, based out of Germany, will handle all final assembly, sales, and service of the street sweeper on the European continent. Representatives from the company exhibited the vehicle at the trade show.

IFAT ENTSORGA is the world’s leading trade fair for water, sewage, waste and raw materials management. The expo is held on a biennial basis in Munich, Germany, and attracts nearly 110,000 trade visitors from 185 countries.

Wayne Sweepers, LLC is a sister company to Wayne Engineering, a leading manufacturer of refuse trucks, and is based in Cedar Falls, Iowa, United States.

For more information, visit www.waynesweepers.com or www.walter-co.de.

More information can be found online at http://www.waynesweepers.com

Illegal Shenandoah parkers should expect tickets

2010-09-23T14:54:00.000-05:00

SHENANDOAH - Borough police will be cracking down on illegal parking, Mayor Michael J. Whitecavage said during Monday's borough council meeting.

"Council had instructed me to speak with the police chief (Joseph Hall) to tell the police officers to start cracking down on a lot of the illegal parking, including when the street sweeper is operating," Whitecavage said, adding that parking and other complaints should be directed to the police department.

"We're instructing the officers to do the jobs. People have to understand that parking restriction signs are posted and if you get a ticket, they shouldn't be calling up any member of council and/or the mayor's house for these tickets to be excused," said Whitecavage. "If you're parked illegally, you must pay your tickets just like everybody else. That's just the way it is. We're going to keep a tally on how many tickets are going out month to month, year to year."

Concerning another matter, Whitecavage informed the council that the former Shenandoah Car Cruise Committee had $1,600 for recreation in a local bank and former members of the defunct group have passed the money to the Shenandoah Recreation Committee for its projects.

Whitecavage also issued a reminder that Shenandoah's first Oktoberfest will be held Oct. 2 at Bicentennial Park with food, games, entertainment, a car show and fireworks. Proceeds will be divided among the Shenandoah Community Watch, Shenandoah Recreation Committee, the revitalization group Downtown Shenandoah Inc. and the 100th anniversary program of the Polish American Fire Company.

Shenandoah Community Watch President Gordon Slater told the council that he has been receiving good words from residents about positive changes.

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Organizers: Construction won't detour Folsom Live

2010-09-22T15:11:00.000-05:00

Backhoes, jackhammers and bulldozers will be silenced by Friday evening for the kick-off party for Folsom Live, the town’s big street party. Despite rumors, organizers say the show will go on.

Amy Feagans, the city’s redevelopment director, said Teichert is doing a good job of cleaning up the street when an event rolls in.

“I think it will be fine,” Feagans said. “We’re so used to dealing with these events now. Teichert is used to cleaning up the street and getting into a really good condition. I mean, they did the Cattle Drive really well and that had people and cows.”

People won’t be stepping over open trenches or dodging heavy equipment to get into Folsom Live.

“They’re going to be clearing away all the large equipment and clearing and cleaning the streets to make sure it’s smooth and accessible,” Feagans said. “We’re also putting up some railing and fencing just for extra security and safety where there are any kind of impediments.”

She said those attending Folsom Live will be able to shop and dine just as in previous years.

“We’re making sure the sidewalks are accessible,” she said. “We paved the access from the railroad block parking lot to Sutter Street to make sure it’s ADA compliant.”

Mary Ann McAlea, with the Folsom Chamber of Commerce, said they have worked closely with the city and construction crews regarding the Historic District Revitalization project.

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Touch a Truck event at Wayland Middle School

2010-09-22T08:07:00.000-05:00

WAYLAND — Join the Wayland Recreation Department for the fifth annual Touch a Truck event on Saturday, Sept. 25 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Wayland Middle School, 201 Main St. (Route 27).

There will be a police car, fire engine, ambulance, John Deere tractor, 10-wheeler, back hoe, dump truck, street sweeper and other huge vehicles for little children and big children to climb in and on.

There will also be a moonwalk, caterpillar inflatable, inflatable slides and more. At 11 a.m., the popular magician Scott Jameson will perform.

New York Life will be on site with their child ID program taking fingerprints and photos. There will also be refreshments, face-painting, free balloons, and a free raffle with lots of gifts for young and old.

Visit the town of Wayland’s website (www.wayland.ma.us) for more details. Remember this is entirely free of charge thanks to local businesses who generously sponsor the event.

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Man dies in truck, sweeper accident

2010-09-21T16:01:00.000-05:00

EAST COUNTY – A passenger in a pickup truck died Monday afternoon when the vehicle crashed into the back of a road sweeper during a driving rainstorm on Texas 105 East.

That wreck was one of two at the intersection of Texas 105 and Security Forest Drive around 3 p.m. While there weren’t any injuries from an earlier collision between a Ford F-150 pickup and a Dodge Ram SUV, the driver of the Dodge Ram fled the scene on foot because he reportedly lacked automobile insurance, Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Belinda Hinojosa said.

The fatal crash occurred when a Ford Ranger pickup slammed into the sweeper belonging to Crosby Road and Trucking, Hinojosa said.

“Eyewitnesses said the downpour was so heavy, the visibility on the road was almost nonexistent,” she said.

Kristina Davis lives on the corner of Security Forest and Texas 105. She said she heard the first wreck and witnessed the second.

“First I heard a loud noise,” Davis said. “After the first wreck, everybody started to hit their brakes, but that (Ford Ranger) popped that (sweeper) right in the back.

“I just hoped and prayed no one died.”

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Schwarze Promotes Dealer Development by Hosting Innovative Com V Sales Training

2010-09-20T15:02:00.000-05:00

Schwarze Industries, one of the world’s largest street sweeper and asphalt patcher manufacturers, has enlisted Com V Ltd. to assist their dealers in developing stronger sales skills.

Com V Ltd. was founded in 2005 by Bill Munn and is designed to help develop and train employees to uncover personal productive and counterproductive habits, and then change the latter. “I moved through a number of positions in the company I used to work for,” said Munn. “And I ended up becoming a group director of product sales and training. Just before my retirement, I was asked to put something in writing for my course.” That something was his book 54321…The Journey to a Sale, which is a complete set of notes for the classroom training he now conducts with his business. “It represents everything I have learned and taught over the years.

“Unlike other sales processes, 54321 is applied from the ‘inside, out’ to create changes in the individual by eliminating their common fears and attitudes that lead to ineffective sales behaviors. Then we discuss the five steps to a sale. Those two processes contribute to the transformation of a person into a highly qualified sales person.”

Raymond Massey, Director of Sales and Marketing for Schwarze Industries, contacted Munn last November after reading his book. “I’ve got nothing but praise for the book and the process,” said Massey. “I actually showed it to one of our regional sales managers, Terry Parsons, and coincidentally he had not only read the book but worked and trained with Bill. So we called him up and got things rolling.”

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York To Resume Ticketing, Towing For Street Sweeping

2010-09-20T14:57:00.000-05:00

York city officials will resume ticketing and towing for street sweeping on South Queen Street, Mayor Kim Bracey announced Monday.

[The area affected is on South Queen Street between King Street and Boundary Avenue.]
Ed Weinstock
The area affected is on South Queen Street between King Street and Boundary Avenue.

“The amount of litter accumulating along the curb on South Queen Street is very disappointing. If residents are not willing to pitch in and help pick up this litter, the City will take the necessary steps to do so,” said Bracey.

The area affected is on South Queen Street between King Street and Boundary Avenue.

The west side of South Queen Street is swept on the first and third Friday of each month and the east side is swept on the second and fourth Friday.

The fine for no parking is $50 and the charge for the tow is $140.

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Fillmore imposes new fees despite residents' objections

2010-09-15T15:03:00.000-05:00

At a sometimes emotionally charged meeting Tuesday, the Fillmore City Council adopted ordinances raising property owners’ water and sewer rates and levying a new street sweeping fee.

The initial increases for the three services will total up to $6.60 a month. Water rate increases will continue to be phased in through 2015, while sewer rates would continue to rise through 2014.

The water and sewer hikes will kick in Oct. 15. The street sweeping fees will be added to the property owners’ trash hauling bills from E.J. Harrison and Sons once the city negotiates a contract with the company for those services. Fillmore Public Works Director Bert Rapp said he expected the fees to be added to the bills by Jan. 1.

Under Proposition 218, the proposed increases would have been blocked if a majority of the city’s property owners returned ballots in opposition. But a preliminary count of the ballots mailed to residents found that the protest votes fell way short of a majority.

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Tennant Company Introduces Innovative New Street Sweeper

2010-09-14T07:33:00.000-05:00

MUNICH -- Tennant Company, a world leader in designing, manufacturing and marketing solutions that help create a cleaner, healthier world, today introduces a new generation of stylish and innovation-rich street sweepers, the compact Tennant A85.

The Tennant A85 incorporates an entirely new, and unique, air suspension system that delivers the ultimate in anti-vibration, low noise and effortless operation for optimized performance and operator comfort.

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The rules of the sweep

2010-09-13T16:59:00.002-05:00

The hot summer months did not mean vacation for the city’s snowplow team. Instead, they took to the streets with a different task: sweeping.

“I think I caught a tan today, man,” joked street-sweeper Glen Lyles in June.

Lyles is one of six men responsible for ensuring all the streets of New Haven are swept each summer month. Lyle’s workday began at 7 a.m. when he reported to the New Haven Department of Public Works, climbed into one of the city’s eight street-sweeping machines and headed off to begin cleaning his route, as he has done for 22 years.

“My job is come in, get in my truck, go where they call me,” Lyles said. “I like everything about it. You’re in control. You do your route, knock your route out. You do what you gotta do.”

The group begins their route by 7:45 each morning, ready to conquer the dirt and debris on the roads. They are part of a squadron: First come the police truck and a fleet of tow trucks, which quickly ticket and clear away improperly parked cars; a truck spraying water follows, helping to settle the dust in the street. Then come the stars of the show: One or two sweepers follow just a few blocks away, bouncing down the street at a surprising clip. They announce their arrival with the grumble of three whirling brooms, which suck up everything from dirt to juice cans to potato chip bags. (Big sticks and boulders, they advised, are to be avoided.) All this must take place while the traffic hurtles around them.

Though the residents along each roughly 10-mile route have been warned by paper signs — posted at least a day in advance on weekdays or eight hours on weekends — not to park their cars on the streets between 7:30 and 3:30, anywhere between 20 and 50 cars are towed during this process each day, though the total can reach up to 100, said foreman John Savino.

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Parking violation adds up

2010-09-13T14:57:00.001-05:00

David Kleinberg parked his mini-van at a curbside space in San Francisco about a mile from his house when he and his wife left for a three-week summer vacation to France.

When he got back home, he said he was met with an unexpected ''bonjour from the City of San Francisco -- a $1,294 parking ticket.''

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Electric Sweeper from Tennant Green Machines Secures Prestigious Ruban d'Honneur

2010-09-13T08:36:00.003-05:00

ANTWERP, Belgium -- Tennant Company, a world leader in designing, manufacturing and marketing solutions that help create a cleaner, healthier world, was selected for a prestigious Ruban d'Honneur in the European Business Awards sponsored by HSBC. Receiving a Ruban d'Honneur is an impressive achievement and celebrates businesses that demonstrate exceptional performance within their sector. Tennant was selected for its Green Machines(TM) 500ze, a municipal sweeper with a zero emissions rating. Green Machines will now compete as a finalist within the UKTI Award for Innovation*.

Tennant was awarded the 2009 Ruban d'Honneur for innovation for its ec-H2O technology, which effectively cleans without chemicals or detergents. Winning the 2010 award demonstrates Tennant's continuing focus on its vision for sustainability. With the recent launch of the Green Machines 500ze, Tennant has again shaped the cleaning industry by introducing the world's first Lithium-ion powered zero emissions, electric vacuum street sweeper. This innovative product is widely recognized as providing a powerful but environmentally conscious sweeping option for enclosed or crowded pedestrian areas such as city centers.

Benefits of the Green Machines 500ze include:

-- Zero exhaust emissions to improve air quality in cities and urban areas.

-- Zero CO2 emissions to help address the growing requirement to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

-- Significant noise reduction to enable unobtrusive early morning or late night operation. In transit mode, the 500ze is nearly silent.

-- Up to 8 hours of operation on a single charge of its Lithium-ion battery packs.

-- Reduces water consumption through the innovative Cloudmaker dust control system.

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Arizona Business Gazette

2010-09-09T15:00:00.000-05:00

The seeds for Andale Construction were planted more than three decades ago when President and CEO Luis de la Cruz was an 18-year-old street sweeper for a construction crew in Southern California.

It was determination in the face of critics that helped drive the Phoenix business owner and his firm's success

"He's not going to be successful. Why marry him? He's not going to amount to anything," de la Cruz recalled of the comments made by those around him when he was a young man growing up in East Los Angeles. "I always wanted to face up to that challenge and prove those people wrong."

In the four years after de la Cruz and his business partners, Jesus Aguilar and Augustine de la Torre, started Andale in November 2006, the company that specializes in underground utilities and horizontal directional drilling has grossed millions of dollars, expanded its staff and equipment inventory and established a partnership with Sundt Construction to bid on federal projects. The latest project is for Luke Air Force Base, worth more than $10 million.

In the company's first full year, de la Cruz worked six days a week plus a half-day on Sundays. That year, Andale exceeded de la Cruz's financial goals, a pattern that continues.

"I worked every day so, if I failed, I could still look at myself in the mirror and say, 'At least you gave it your best shot,' " he said. De la Cruz and Andale have received numerous accolades, including the Arizona Minority Business Enterprise Center's Minority Contractor of the Year in 2008. This year, Andale was a finalist for the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce's prestigious IMPACT Award.

De la Cruz's professional success, coupled with his community involvement, propelled him toward the top of more than 70 applicants, said Todd Sanders, chamber president and CEO. Despite the flailing economy, which hit the construction industry hard, Andale continues to support seven non-profit organizations.

"His passion is a big part of what led him to being a finalist," Sanders said. "He epitomizes the American success story."

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The dangers of sweeping Lagos streets

2010-09-08T15:09:00.000-05:00

Sweeping the roads and highways of Lagos is inarguably a risky task, given the level of exposure to the unending flow of cars, motorbikes, trucks. As a daily job, the risks are increased, often leaving the person performing the task in a perpetual state of fear for his/her life and safety.

In order to keep the roads and highways clean in Lagos state, over 10,000 street sweepers are employed to sweep the roads daily. The job has no age or class discrimination. The job attracts both the old and young, the educated and illiterate, the able and disabled. Physically challenged persons who sweep pedestrian bridges in Lagos have been recognised by Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) for their work and are given a N10,000 monthly allowance.

Last month, the state Ministry of Environment, in conjunction with LAWMA, organised a two-day sensitisation and awareness workshop to ensure that the service providers are not exposed to any form of danger while discharging their duties and to ensure that all road users are aware of safety rules and regulations. The workshop drew thousands of street sweepers from across the state. Governor Babatunde Fashola promised the workers that his administration would remain committed to ensuring the safety of the sweepers.

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Elgin Sweeper Enters into Research Agreement with EPA's National Risk Management Laboratory

2010-09-07T15:28:00.001-05:00

ELGIN, IL - Elgin Sweeper has entered into a cooperative research and development agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development's National Risk Management Research Laboratory. Under this agreement, Elgin Sweeper will share its extensive background in surface cleaning with the EPA to better understand the maintenance needs of three types of porous pavement.

"The partnership with the EPA furthers Elgin Sweeper's commitment as the leader in environmentally efficient street sweepers to develop, formulate, and distribute environmental solutions and implementation technologies that reduce air pollution and storm water pollution in cities and communities across the United States," said Brian Giles, sweeper product manager at Elgin Sweeper.

The National Risk Management Research Laboratory (NRMRL) of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was created in 1995 from several former Office of Research and Development (ORD) organizations. The NRMRL focuses on environmental problem solving. Recognized as a national leader in scientific and engineering expertise and capability, NRMRL's research directly supports national priorities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality, manage chemical risks, clean up hazardous waste sites, and protect America's water.

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Trashed by Sanit cuts

2010-09-07T11:43:00.000-05:00

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- It's starting to smell like the 1970s.

Sanitation Department budget cuts are mounting a physical and an olfactory toll on the streets of Staten Island, offering an unwanted glimpse backward to a notoriously dirty era in the city's history.

Due to budget constraints, the Department of Sanitation sweeps Island streets only once per week, has eliminated trucks dedicated solely to picking up public trash bins and cut two-dozen workers, the Advance has learned.

And it appears the under-manned agency is having a hard time cleaning what Islanders are throwing out. Though many of the borough's main thoroughfares -- such as Hylan Boulevard, Forest Avenue and Richmond Road -- still appear to be in decent shape, it wasn't difficult to find sites piled with trash during a weeklong survey of the borough.

Commuters were greeted by the pungent odor of decaying food and a mound of swelling trash bags at bus stop on Castleton Avenue between Broadway and Alaska Street.

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Four injured in crash on U.S. 69

2010-09-07T08:37:00.001-05:00

Four people were injured, one seriously, in an early morning crash along U.S. Highway 69 in Ankeny on Friday.

A man with no driver’s license crashed his van into a street sweeper in a construction zone that apparently irritated him, Ankeny police said.

A witness told police that the driver, identified as Thomas Salinas, 30, was hanging out a window uttering obscenities and purposely running over traffic cones shortly before the crash, which occurred at 2:13 a.m. The van was seen leaving a bar along South Ankeny Boulevard, the highway’s name in Ankeny, shortly before the accident.
The northbound vehicle swerved into the southbound lanes and back to the northbound side before it hit the street sweeper head-on, police said.

Two road workers who were standing outside were hit by construction equipment.
Salinas was in serious condition at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines on Friday evening.

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Clean sweep - Industrial, commercial street and parking lot cleaners

2010-09-07T08:36:00.000-05:00

The fresh start coming next week for students and faculty includes the parking lots they'll be using.

The summer's debris has been brushed and sucked away from area schools by a Mount Hope couple rolling faster than they hoped into the street cleaning industry.

Colleen and Wayne Cosby own CAN-Sweep Services Inc.

Based at Hamilton International Airport, they utilize a 27,000 pound FMC Vanguard Sweeper - purchased on Kijiji this spring - to remove exterior dirt, cigarette butts and junk from concrete surfaces. It's opened a vast market of business of school grounds, gated communities, construction zones, retail centres and - naturally - the airport where they rent space.

But it's more than just driving a truck with two rotating side brooms made of metal bristles.

"Our sweeper will rip out weeds, but a lot of times we're doing it manually and going over it with the sweeper," says Colleen. "It's a combination of a lot of muscle and machinery. Old-fashioned work, really."

The truck's front end showers water over the road before the brushes sweep in.

"Keeping the dust down is key. You don't want to have a big cloud of smoke or dust behind you," Wayne says. "We remove the debris. We just don't push it aside. We don't spread it, we physically remove it. It's amazing how much stuff it picks up."

Married 14 years, the pair says their newest adventure wasn't slated to start until next year.

"Our name and the exposure has been a year ahead of the game," Colleen says.

When they purchased the equipment online from a Caledonia man, the thought was to explore a business plan, market themselves, and hit the pavement next spring.

But tenants at the airport immediately scooped up the idea and had them wash away the winter grit.

"Esthetically, they feel better stepping into work without walking through crap," Colleen says, explaining how it boosts an employee's outlook when they arrive to a clean environment.

"There is a big need."

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Mixed reviews on app that helps SF parkers

2010-09-03T14:53:00.001-05:00

Perplexed and forgetful parkers now have a tool to help themselves avoid a ticket by getting their vehicle out of the way for street cleaning. Yes, there is an app for that.

The app is available for the iPhone and uses GPS to tell a driver when street cleaners will hit the block where you park with a handy countdown clock telling you when to move the car.

Street cleaning schedules have gotten more complicated during lean budget times as some neighborhoods have switched from once a week to twice a month street cleaning, so we’ll see if the app can keep up with all the changes.

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Schwarze Set to Host Dealer Council Meeting

2010-09-03T08:50:00.000-05:00

HUNTSVILLE, AL - Schwarze Industries is gearing up to host their 2010 dealer council meeting scheduled for October 18-20, in Huntsville, Alabama.

As a part of Schwarze's ongoing effort to optimize sales and service with its worldwide dealer network, the program will serve as a platform to share insights on issues ranging from succeeding in a down economy to further improving customer service, sales and marketing.

"Strong dealer relationships are key to building our brand and this is a great way for us to better understand the challenges our dealers and end users face in the field," said Raymond Massey, Director of Sales and Marketing for Schwarze. "We'll also be going over potential opportunities and get a chance to talk about new products and features."

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Here comes a flood of stricter stormwater rules

2010-09-02T10:27:00.001-05:00

Since the beginning of this year, more than 1,200 industrial facilities that discharge stormwater have had to comply with new permit requirements. Some of these covered facilities are not aware of the new industrial stormwater permit, they may not have updated their stormwater pollution prevention plan, or they are having difficulty meeting the new permit's more stringent requirements.

On the plus side, the new industrial permit has streamlined the rules for when stormwater samples must be collected — now within the first 12 hours of a stormwater discharge or as soon as practicable after the first 12 hours — but it also requires monthly visual inspections. All of the sampling events and inspections must be documented and reported to Ecology on a timely basis.

A significant change from the old permit is the substantial reduction in threshold levels (known as benchmarks) for what is allowed in the stormwater. The benchmark for zinc, for example, has been lowered to the point that many facilities with galvanized metal roofing or fencing are finding themselves out of compliance more often under the new rule. The copper benchmark also is substantially lower and may cause an increase in the number of stormwater sampling events that do not comply with the new rule.

If a facility does not comply with the benchmarks, the industrial permit sets out a number of best-management practices — known as BMPs — that facilities were required to implement no later than July 1 of this year.

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Street sweepers, noisy motorcycles focus of last-minute bill votes

2010-08-31T15:52:00.000-05:00

Illegal parkers, beware. The street sweeper sees all.

The Senate approved a measure backed by the city of Los Angeles that would make it easier to issue parking tickets to cars left on streets during posted days of street sweeping. AB 2567 by Assemblyman Steve Bradford (D-Gardena) would allow cities to mount cameras on the front of street sweepers to automatically photograph cars in violation of posted parking restrictions.

"Having photo enforcement technology on the street sweepers allows for efficiently citing cars that are illegally parked and improve street sweeping,’’ said Sen. Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego).

Sen. Bob Dutton (R-Rancho Cucamonga) opposed the measure, saying it is premature before an ongoing study of the practice is completed in San Francisco. The measure goes back to the Assembly for agreement on amendments.

The senate also went after noisy motorcycles were targeted in legislation Monday.

With just two days left in the legislative session, the Senate approved and sent the governor SB 435, which allows the police to cite motorcycle owners if they remove federally required emissions-control equipment such as the catalytic converter.

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Swept up in a panic: Long Beach residents strain to beat sweepers

2010-08-30T08:07:00.000-05:00

LONG BEACH -- If you live in Long Beach, you probably know that sinking feeling, that moment of panic as you hear the "whoosh, whoosh, whoosh" of an approaching street sweeper.

The thoughts come at an urgent pace: What day is today? Did I park on the wrong side of the street? Do I need to move my car? I can't afford another parking ticket!

Those thoughts are often followed by quick action, as residents rush outside to move their vehicles, regardless of how early in the morning it is or their state of disarray.

"I have run out in a bra and shorts," Long Beach resident Shelley Brice-Boyle told the Press-Telegram via Facebook.

Meanwhile, the street sweeper whoosh-whoosh-whooshes closer, shadowed by parking control officers in trucks ready to stick a ticket under their next victim's windshield wiper. Cue the theme song from "Jaws."

Perhaps this is an overly dramatic account of Long Beach's street sweeping program. It does, after all, serve a purpose.

According to Jim Kuhl, the city's manager of environmental services, Long Beach's 18 sweeper operators pick up 15,000 to 16,000 tons of trash and debris annually, covering 180,000 miles of roadways per year.

However, city records obtained by the Press-Telegram through a public records request show that Long Beach gives out no small number of street-sweeping parking citations, and in some years reaps a hefty profit.

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Peconic man injured in crash with street sweeper

2010-08-26T15:46:00.001-05:00

A 71-year-old Peconic resident was taken to Eastern Long Island Hospital Tuesday morning after an SUV he was driving collided with a parked street sweeper on Peconic Lane.

Joel Reitman was driving north on Peconic Lane when he reportedly hit the town-owned street sweeper, which was parked in front of the town's youth center. Mr. Reitman was taken to the hospital by the Southold Fire Department Ambulance Corps after complaining of chest pains.

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Big Rig, City Sweeper Collide On 14 Freeway

2010-08-26T15:45:00.000-05:00

CANYON COUNTRY, Calif. (CBS) - A car transport big rig and a city sweeper collided on the 14 Freeway in Canyon Country.

The accident, which was reported at 1:20 p.m. Wednesday, took place on the northbound 14 Freeway south of Soledad Canyon.

The impact of the collision caused the truck to burst into flames.

California Highway Patrol Officer Francisco Villalobos said the collision was expected to cause delays for at least another 90 minutes or so.

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Valley Girls and Guys work to sweep away cancer

2010-08-26T09:15:00.000-05:00

Tina McDonough kissed the street sweeper for good luck on a warm, sunny Friday afternoon in Ravensdale.

The sweeper was about to be loaded up on a truck bound for Los Angeles, Calif., where it is scheduled to be auctioned off by Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers.

Half of the proceeds will go toward the Valley Girls and Guys team — which has more than 80 members — in its efforts to raise money for the Seattle 3-Day Walk Sept. 24-26. Money raised by walk participants goes to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

McDonough, who lives in Ravensdale, began participating in the 3-Day just four years ago and her team has grown from four to 86 this year.

She is owner and president of One.7, which is described as “the largest used sweeper dealer in the U.S.” in a statement released by Ritchie Bros.

This particular sweeper is a breast cancer themed vehicle, painted white with large pink ribbons on either side, and the name of McDonough’s team on the doors. There’s even a pink ribbon magnet on the bumper

Last year McDonough donated half the proceeds from a pink 2001 Freightliner/Elgin Broom Bear street sweeper that was purchased by an individual from Tempe, Ariz., at an unreserved public auction in Olympia. The buyer even kept the truck in its original pink color.

“It was a no-brainer teaming up with Ritchie Bros. again to sell another sweeper and raise funds for breast cancer,” McDonough said in a statement. “Ritchie Bros. really got behind us in supporting this cause last year when we sold the pink sweeper in Olympia. They did a top notch job and exceeded our expectations.”

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"See a penny, pick it up." It may not be your average penny.

2010-08-25T15:00:00.001-05:00

"See a penny, pick it up." Two Elizabethton street sweepers went for a penny, and found that their luck wasn't just one cent's worth.

While sweeping the Redi Mart on Siam Road in Elizabethton on Saturday, Jonathan Bowman spotted something in the grass; he called his friend.

"Albert was up at the upper parking lot sweeping this way," said Bowman. "I hollered, 'Albert look here what I found!' And we looked at it; it was 1736 silver coin."

Albert Myker swept the lot every day for the past five years. Often, he and his helpers find and keep coins, but they're used to finding pennies.

The guys knew the coin was something special. Myker's nephew, a teacher from Atlanta started the internet research, and then they took it to some local experts.

When artifacts are brought to East Tennessee State University's Reece Museum, director Theresa Burchett says she looks at them with skepticism.

But this time: "It was very impressive, I didn't expect to see what I saw," says Burchett.

If authentic, the 1736 French coin is from the time of King Louis XV.

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Elgin Sweeper Introduces Crosswind Sweeper for Racetracks

2010-08-25T09:21:00.001-05:00

ELGIN, IL - The new Crosswind Specialty Track Sweeper from Elgin Sweeper is making its debut at NASCAR racetracks around the country this racing season. This regenerative air sweeper includes unique features developed for racetrack sweeping and maintenance applications, including a 20,000 cfm-rated blower, a hydraulically-driven, plastic bristle side broom on one side of the sweeper and a high-performance air-blast nozzle on the other side. For remote cleaning, the unit also features a soft wall cleaning attachment and a large jib boom-mounted 8-in. rear vacuum hose for the big jobs.

The Crosswind Specialty Track Sweeper can clean a wide, 117-in. path with its side broom and pickup head. With its side air-blast nozzle, debris can be blown off the track for distances up to 50 ft. The sweeper has an 8-yd. hopper to contain ample track debris. The 2010 Freightliner M2 chassis features dual controls for operation from either the right- or left-side of the cab. The dual engine sweeper features a 115-hp turbocharged diesel engine for the sweeper and a 200-hp diesel chassis engine. For enhanced visibility, the sweeper is equipped with a vast array of amber safety lights on both the chassis and sweeper.

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One Injured in Street Sweeper vs. Truck Accident

2010-08-24T08:03:00.001-05:00

A 37-year-old Vandalia man was injured when the street sweeper he was driving for Howell Paving was struck and knocked on its side at the Maple and West McMackin Street intersection in Salem during the noon hour Monday.

Salem Police say the driver of the sweeper, Charles Chrisman, disobeyed the stop sign on McMackin Street and was hit by a southbound pickup on Maple Street driven by Michael Randall of West Broadway in Mt. Vernon. Chrisman had to knock out a window in the small sweeper to get out of the overturned vehicle. He was later taken by ambulance to Salem Township Hospital. Chrisman was ticketed for failure to yield at a stop intersection. Randall was not injured and was able to drive away in his truck.

The sweeper was being used to clear dust and debris from the nearby Route 37 resurfacing project. The same sweeper, but with a different driver, had been involved in another wreck last week on Route 37 near Kell when it was hit in the rear by a car that couldn't see the sweeper because of the cloud of dust it was creating.

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Greensburg Street Sweeper Helps Nab Burglary Suspect

2010-08-20T07:58:00.000-05:00

GREENSBURG, Pa. -- Police in Greensburg said a street sweeper helped them capture a suspect in a string of burglaries.

Channel 4 Action News' Jennifer Miele reported that police said a single person was responsible for 11 burglaries totaling $2,200 in Greensburg over a two-week period.

The suspect broke into a number of different stores, including clothing, craft and home décor shops in downtown Greensburg.

Police said when the alarm at the Rusty Angel gift shop on South Maple Avenue sounded Wednesday morning, a street sweeper spotted the suspect running from the store.

Tim Burkart, who starts his day as at 4 a.m., told Miele that when police asked him if he saw anything, he pointed officers in the direction of Bobby Ryan Miller.

When police caught up with Miller, 25, they said he was carrying a backpack filled with a hammer, a file and screwdrivers that were used in the burglaries.

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Ritchie Bros. to sell street sweeper for charity

2010-08-19T10:34:00.000-05:00

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Tina McDonough, owner and president of One.7, Inc., (www.1point7.com), the largest used sweeper dealer in the U.S., is teaming up with Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (NYSE and TSX: RBA), the world's largest industrial auctioneer, for a second year to sell a street sweeper to raise funds for breast cancer research. Half the proceeds from the sale of the street sweeper, to be sold at a Ritchie Bros. unreserved public auction in Los Angeles on September 16, 2010, will be put towards her team's fundraising efforts as participants in Seattle's upcoming Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk (www.the3day.org) from September 24 - 26, 2010. Ritchie Bros. (www.rbauction.com) will also donate its commission and any additional fees from the sale of the street sweeper directly to the breast cancer fundraiser.

In 2009, McDonough donated half the proceeds from a pink 2001 Freightliner/Elgin Broom Bear street sweeper sold to a buyer from Tempe, Arizona at an Ritchie Bros. unreserved public auction in Olympia, Washington. The buyer even kept the truck in its original pink color.

"It was a no-brainer teaming up with Ritchie Bros. again to sell another sweeper and raise funds for breast cancer," says Tina McDonough, Owner and President, One.7, Inc., "Ritchie Bros. really got behind us in supporting this cause last year when we sold the pink sweeper in Olympia. They did a top notch job and exceeded our expectations."

The street sweeper being sold this year is a one-of-a-kind white 2000 Elgin Crosswind air vacuum sweeper with brand new paint, new brooms, decals and Alcoa wheels. The truck, which has 74,485 miles and 6684 hours, also features the distinctive pink ribbon - the trademark symbol for breast cancer awareness - on the front hood and sides of the truck. The rear of the truck is painted with the slogan: "Caution. This truck is working to sweep away breast cancer."

The Breast Cancer Awareness street sweeper will be sold to the highest bidder-with no minimum bids or reserve prices-Thursday, September 16th at a public Ritchie Bros. unreserved Los Angeles auction. If the highest bidder is a U.S. taxpayer, they will receive a charitable donation receipt for 50 percent of their winning bid.

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Waterloo crews clean up five-block diesel spill

2010-08-18T10:01:00.000-05:00

WATERLOO, Iowa - Firefighters and city street department workers cleaned up fuel from a delivery truck that left a trail of diesel for about five blocks Tuesday morning.

Authorities were notified of the leak at about 4:40 a.m. after a Martin Brothers Distributing delivery truck had its fuel tank punctured, said Capt. Pat Treloar with Waterloo Fire Rescue.

He said diesel spilled onto Commercial Street from Park Avenue to Fifth Street.

City workers brought a sand truck and street sweeper for the slippery conditions, and firefighters used a floor dry material to soak up the fluid.

Hydro-Klean, a Des Moines environmental services company, has been called to dispose of the diesel-soaked sand, Treloar said.

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Airport Receives Money For Runway Sweeper

2010-08-18T07:31:00.000-05:00

Several Peace region airports have received funding this summer from the federal government towards improvements to their facilities.

The latest is the Grande Prairie Airport, which is getting just under 122 grand towards the purchase of a new runway sweeper.

The money comes from the Airports Capital Assistance Program, which Grande Prairie Airport CEO Brian Grant says has provided over 14 million in funding to their facility since 1997.

Grant says the money will cover about 40 percent of the cost of the sweeper, which he expects to have at the airport by March of next year.

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Actor obsessed with street sweeping becomes focus of film

2010-08-17T17:33:00.003-05:00

NEWARK — McKinley Page can tell you the smallest detail about streetsweepers.

The Newark resident recalls being transfixed by the spinning brushes of streetsweepers at the age of 2 — a moment soon to be depicted in a film about his life.

As an adolescent, he daydreamed about them in math class and climbed fences to catch a glimpse of them. Eventually, he saved enough money to buy several three-wheeled sweepers. He’d sweep streets for free just for the pleasure of riding them.

"The first time I saw a street sweeper, I didn’t know what it was," said Page, 53. "But I loved the brushes. The way they moved."

This love story between man and machine has attracted the attention of Michel Gondry, an Oscar-winning screenwriter of the 2004 film "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and director of next year’s "The Green Hornet." Gondry has dispatched a screenwriter to work with Page to develop a full-length movie of how he made his unusual dream become a reality.

Page, with his stocky physique, thick mustache and rosy cheeks, is expected to play himself in part of the movie to help the film remain "authentic," said Gondry.

"His passion for street sweeping is so unusual," said Gondry. "He’s incredibly charming — and he’s aware that he’s special."

The collaboration between Gondry, a 47-year-old French filmmaker, and Page, streetsweeper and UPS deliveryman, began at a Belleville laundry.

While waiting for a dryer to finish, Page grabbed a random "Exit" magazine and saw an open casting call for extras in a movie. In desperate need of money to help subsidize a low-paying streetsweeper job that always left him dreary-eyed, Page decided to have a hand at acting.

Gondry, fascinated by Page’s stories of his street-sweeper obsession, cast him as Brother McDuff, in "Be Kind, Rewind," a film he directed in 2008 that starred Jack Black. Gondry found Page to be an authentic actor who happened to live in New Jersey, where the movie was set. He got in 11 scenes.

"Gondry seemed very intrigued with McKinley," recalled Linda Terminello, of Saddlebrook, an extra in the film. "I could see it on his face on the set."

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NAPSA to Host Webinar on Estimating Parking Lot Contracts

2010-08-17T14:56:00.000-05:00

The North American Power Sweeping Association has recently announced its upcoming webinar entitled "Tips and Tools for Estimating a Profitable Parking Lot Contract." This 60-minute webinar will be held on September 1, 2010 at 5:00 p.m. EDT. Anyone involved in the sweeping industry is encouraged to register.

Carl Barton, NAPSA president and owner of Aardvark Sweeping Services, Memphis, TN, will be the speaker for this educational session.

Barton built his business from the ground up beginning in 1996 and has experience in all areas of operation. When asked why he chose this topic, Barton said, "This is the information I wish someone had shared with me years ago. I receive several calls a year from sweeping companies requesting advice. The universal question from all of them is covered in this webinar. It doesn't matter if you are a beginning sweeper or a seasoned veteran, this webinar will have value for your company. Iron sharpens iron and it is the same with open minded business people."

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Schwarze Industries Ships Alternative Fuel Fleet to Fresno

2010-08-17T08:45:00.001-05:00

HUNTSVILLE, AL - Schwarze Industries announced the delivery of eight Schwarze M6000SE CNG Mechanical Street Sweepers to the city of Fresno, California.

Powered by compressed natural gas (CNG), the fleet of sweepers will allow the City of Fresno to comply with AQMD Rule 1186.1 as well as various CARB regulations. "California is extremely aggressive and a leader when it comes to air and water quality," said Raymond Massey, Director of Sales and Marketing for Schwarze. "Our compressed natural gas Schwarze M6000 single engine street sweeper has lower emissions, which is paramount when it comes to clean air."

In addition to being a cleaner alternative to diesel fuel, compressed natural gas fuel is significantly cheaper than the petrol alternative. "It's really a win-win for the city of Fresno," said Massey. "They get an extremely rugged, simplistic sweeper that will provide them with numerous years of dependable service, while mitigating greenhouse gas emissions."

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Geelong Power Sweep Isuzu Brushes The Competition

2010-08-16T08:23:00.000-05:00

Geelong Power Sweep (GPS) owner, Glenn Laybourne, is counting on a newly acquired Isuzu FSR 850 Schwarze Road Sweeper to maintain his edge in an ultra competitive field.

Starting his working life as an interstate truck operator, Glenn has a sound knowledge of heavy vehicles and goes through a six month process of research, driver feedback and testing before purchase of any new equipment.

According to Glenn, taking a proactive 'hands on' approach in the truck specification process is not only crucial to GPS's survival, but a long time hobby as well.

"I have a vast interest in anything mechanical, as I have operated machinery all my working life," Glenn said.

"GPS, over the last two decades of operation has fended off a string of acquisition offers from bigger companies.

"Due to Geelong's close proximity to Melbourne, we face fierce competition on any new government and commercial projects in the area.

"Often the bigger engineering and construction companies are better resourced than we are, therefore it's essential that we have the best and most up to date equipment available," Glenn said.

Suitable for cleaning up a wide variety of materials and substances ranging from gravel, dirt and road pavement mix to fertiliser, mud and sewerage, the Isuzu powered sweeper often works in ship cargo bays, container terminals, on construction projects and housing estates, and at the scene of traffic accidents.

Fitted with an auxiliary engine and a six cubic metre hopper, GPS's Isuzu FSR 850 is able to sweep and vacuum up to five and a half tonnes of debris per run via its 355 millimetre suction hose, sweeping head and gutter broom.

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Stonehurst residents eager to clean streets

2010-08-11T07:51:00.001-05:00

UPPER DARBY – Last Thursday at the Second Ward Park located at the intersection of Church and Emerson avenues in Upper Darby, the ACTION United organization brought together two members of the Stonehurst community, Joelle Williams and Gaius Jenkins who have become activists in reclaiming their neighborhood.

The park is symbolic for the group, as it seems to be the epicenter of Stonehurst’s crime and drug problems. Beneath picnic benches, play areas and swings lay the remains of discarded drug paraphernalia. The contrast, though unintentional, is staggering.

The group said it had three major focuses in the crusade to revive the community; cleaning, council and bringing community members together again.

A subject involving all three and of great importance to both Williams and Jenkins is the children living in the area.

Jenkins said there is a need for play. He said that he lived in proximity to the park, but it was not practical to take his 2-year-old grandson to play there.

Jenkins said that on his street, “A lot are playing in the street.”

This is especially problematic he said, because many streets are one-ways and there is heavy traffic.

Jenkins said without summer programs there are few activities for children and most of them are left to play on the streets.

Williams recalled, “There used to be activities for kids around the block.”

Jenkins remembers kids going to summer school programs when he was growing up but realizes they cost much more now and are not an option for many parents in this economy.

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Street sweeper cleaned up

2010-08-06T07:58:00.001-05:00

A STREET sweeper was cleaned up in a single vehicle rollover at Nambour on Thursday.

The cumbersome cleaning machine rolled as the 42-year-old male driver attempted to reverse in Leafy Lane.

Witnesses said the vehicle became unbalanced tipped after it reversed off the roadway and into a deep ditch.

The driver suffered from lacerations and shock and was taken to Nambour General Hospital, according to a Department of Community Safety spokeswoman.

He was in a stable condition.

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Vehicle catches on fire due to faulty battery charger

2010-08-04T07:57:00.000-05:00

A 1999 Freightliner street sweeper caught fire Saturday, lighting 200 feet of grass on fire in a private lot.

According to the Tulare County Fire Department, units responded to the fire located at 20400 Avenue 184 at approximately 4:55 p.m. and contained both fires.

An investigation revealed the cause of the fire to be a faulty battery charger left unattended and attached to the vehicle.

No one was injured and damage to the sweeper was an estimated $20,000.

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Martinsburg Pike Reopens After Crash

2010-08-04T07:56:00.000-05:00

A Winchester man is recovering after a major accident that shut down part of Martinsburg Pike.

Virginia State Police say a tractor trailer hit the back end of the street sweeper that then overturned.

The tractor trailer then ran off the road and into a ditch.

Troopers say the truck driver suffered minor injuries.

The street sweeper driver was sent to Winchester Medical Center with non life-threatening injuries.

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Employee sues Environmental Management for termination

2010-07-29T08:13:00.002-05:00

A former employee is suing Environmental Management, Environmental Management Construction and his former supervisor after he claims he was discriminated against.

Joseph Beasley worked for EMI as a general laborer and on June 18, 2008, was directed by Roy Allen Conway to operate a sweeper truck with defective equipment, according to a complaint filed June 14 in Kanawha Circuit Court.

Beasley claims the sweeper truck had flat tires, worn sweeper brushes, inoperative signal lights and inoperative headlights.

When Beasley refused to operate the defective sweeper truck until the defective equipment was repaired, his employment was terminated, according to the suit.

Beasley claims the defendants did not pay his wages in full within 72 hours of his termination.

The defendants' conduct in terminating Beasley's employment constitutes a direct violation of the substantial public policy recognized under West Virginia law, according to the suit.

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Vt. worker run over by street sweeper, survives

2010-07-28T08:11:00.000-05:00

BURLINGTON, Vt. — Police in Vermont say a street sweeper backed over a construction worker, leaving only his boots sticking out from under the vehicle. He escaped with only minor injuries.

Burlington, Vt., police Lt. Art Cyr says the sweeper's brushes weren't spinning when the man was run over Monday evening. Firefighters jacked up the vehicle to remove him.

Police say the victim, whose name was not released, and the sweeper driver are employed by the same contractor, which was paving city streets.

The driver apparently didn't see the worker and backed over him.

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Man run over by Street Sweeper...Twice

2010-07-27T08:11:00.001-05:00

A South Dakota man was airlifted to a Twin Cities hospital after he was run over by a street sweeping machine in Audubon West of Detroit Lakes, twice.

55 year-old Gregory Wagner is a private contractor and was preparing a parking lot for maintenance work. The Becker County Sheriff's office says Wagner's wife ran over him and then hit him a second time when she backed up.

Wagner's injuries are considered serious.

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Street sweeper flips near Lake Perris Fairgrounds

2010-07-26T08:10:00.001-05:00

A street sweeper, possibly driven by a drunken driver, flipped over today in Perris, a sheriff’s sergeant said.

The crash was reported about 10:39 a.m. on Avalon Parkway and the Ramona Expressway, near the Lake Perris Fairgrounds, according to Sgt. Joe Borja of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

Borja said the man driving the street sweeper escaped from the overturned vehicle and was not injured.

The man may have been under the influence of alcohol, according to reports from deputies at the scene.

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Truck vs. street sweeper sends New Jersey man to the hospital

2010-07-23T07:58:00.000-05:00

CLARKSTOWN—A New Jersey man was taken to the hospital early this morning after a truck slammed into a street sweeper on the New York state Thruway.

State police said Corey Grant, 30, of Hillcrest, was headed north in his 2006 Volkswagen truck when he crashed into the rear of a 2004 Isuzu street sweeper, sending the vehicle and its driver, Jose Funes, 60, of Unionville, N.J., through a guardrail and down the embankment.

The crash occurred at about 4:50 a.m. near Exit 12 in Clarkstown.

Funes, who was ejected from the passenger seat, suffered internal injuries and was taken to Westchester Medical Center. Grant suffered minor injuries in the crash after the truck rolled over and came to rest in the right lane. He was taken to Nyack Hospital by Rockland Paramedic Services.

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Truck leaks debris on downtown streets

2010-07-01T08:09:00.001-05:00

A private hauler left a wet trail of water, leaves and sticks along several city streets this morning, and a street sweeper is cleaning it up.

York City Fire Chief Steve Buffington said the trail began around Roosevelt and Penn streets and ended near Beaver and Market streets. There were a couple of heavy spots at Pershing and Market and at Beaver and Market, where Buffington thinks the driver pulled over to shut down the leak.

"It's not something we want in the downtown," Buffington said.

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Knickerbocker: Street sweeper did not violate city noise ordinance

2010-06-21T08:07:00.000-05:00

Hannibal, MO — Earlier this week the Courier-Post raised a question regarding a possible violation of the city’s noise ordinance by a street sweeper when it was heard operating well before 7 a.m. in a residential neighborhood.
Kevin Knickerbocker, first ward councilman who helped draft the revised ordinance that was approved last year, says it was not.
Knickerbocker cited a section of the noise ordinance which states that a vehicle will not be considered in violation if it is being operated “for a period longer than required for normal or reasonable traffic control.”
“Since the street sweeper is a slow moving vehicle, proceeding in its normal course of duties, it would not have been in any place longer than a period that was required for normal or reasonable traffic control so it would therefore not have been in violation of the city ordinance,” he said.

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Crew clearing sand from village roads

2010-04-23T08:10:00.001-05:00

LAKE PLACID — Two Bobcat tractors equipped with large spinning brooms zipped up Victor Herbert Drive on Tuesday, sweeping sand into a neat pile down the center of the road. A yellow Elgin street sweeper, large and square like a dirt Zamboni, followed, picking up the remaining sand and leaving the road clear.

With two dump trucks, two tractors and the Elgin sweeper, seven members of the village highway department began a second round of clearing Lake Placid roads this week, which is done to prevent sand used during winter snowstorms from washing into drainage systems and waterways.

And they had their work cut out for them.

According to Brad Hathaway, Lake Placid department of public works supervisor, the highway department put down much more sand than previous years — around 600,000 pounds throughout the winter.

"We had a lot of nuisance snow this winter,” Hathaway said. “We would get two inches here, two inches there, and we put down sand every time.”

To get a jump on the cleanup effort, the highway department started sand removal early this year, trying to raise as much sand off the roads as possible.

“It’s been going well so far,” Hathaway said. “Our guys are out there working hard.”

Hathaway sat behind his desk at the public works office on Cascade Road. A CB radio across the room crackled every so often with murmurs of highway department workers planning their next move. Hathaway leaned in to listen.

“It sounds like they’re hitting a couple of frozen spots,” he said. “Not much you can do about that, it just has to melt.”

After finishing this round, the highway department will circle the town one final time with hopes of being completely done with the cleanup by the first week of May.

The crew starts the process in the Hillcrest area near the Crowne Plaza resort at the highest point of town, according to Hathaway, and they work down from there. He said the biggest issue, aside from aesthetics, is the environmental impact sand can have on the ecosystems of Mirror Lake and surrounding waters.

“We try to keep a good eye on the lake,” Hathaway said. “We go down Main Street and around the lake a lot of times throughout this process.”

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Stopping Tickets In The Street Sweeper's Tracks

2010-04-21T08:46:00.000-05:00

If your sick and tired of getting tickets for forgetting to move your car on street cleaning day, then there's a new service just for you.

A new service has popped up for those of us looking to avoid yet another street sweeping season of the orange blight.

StopParkingTickets.com is the brainchild of Greg Bukowski and Molly Curry, an Old Town couple annoyed with the surge of parking tickets that inevitably follow the April 1 start of street cleaning.

For $9.99 a year, their service alerts Chicagoans of their street's day for regular street cleaning, through both an email the night before and a text message the morning of. The text message arrives with enough time before the 9 AM enforcement deadline to allow their clients to move their car to a safe place.

"We've both received more than our fair share of parking tickets, despite our efforts to always check for street sweeping signs," says Curry. "We found that too often, the signs are hard to see, spaced too far apart, or can't stand up to the wind, rain, and rowdy pedestrians common here in Chicago. I discovered that while street sweeping routes and schedules are posted on most of the city wards' websites, it's difficult to make sense of the rhyme or reason behind it, and especially if you live in the vicinity of more than one ward."

Curry gives most of the credit for the idea to Bukowski, her fiancé and partner in the venture. The service launched in June 2009, so this street cleaning season will be their first full season in business. They currently have just under 100 clients in eight wards, but the service is tailored to the needs of its subscribers: you give them your information and they stay on top of your neighborhood's cleaning schedule.

Curry and Bukowski have been getting the word out on their service primarily from personally placing fliers on the windshields of cars fresh from the sting of another street cleaning parking ticket.

And, while they work to wrest parking ticket revenue from the hands of the Department of Revenue, they are careful to stay on the city's good side.

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Cameras considered for street sweepers to aid ticketing

2010-04-16T08:41:00.000-05:00

The Pittsburgh Parking Authority is exploring the possibility of putting cameras on city street sweepers to more efficiently ticket people who fail to move their vehicles on cleaning day.

"You're not going to see cameras on the street sweepers this season," authority Executive Director David Onorato said today. But if the authority can clear legal hurdles -- possibly including changes in state law and city code -- it may try to implement the measure next year.

The cameras would photograph the license plates of cars that are left on the wrong side of the street on days when parking is restricted to clear the way for the street sweeper. The registered owners would then get tickets within days.

Today, the authority's board voted to allow the director to buy two cars to transport parking enforcement officers assigned to ticketing violators of neighborhood parking restrictions, including the street sweeping rule and residential parking program limits. The purchases will be made through an existing contract competitively bid by another governmental agency.

To those two cars, the authority expects to add one of its existing fleet vehicles. The city is also buying two cars for neighborhood parking enforcement. All five cars will be operated by authority parking enforcement officers. That won't represent a big change in past years' enforcement efforts, and the five cars won't be able to follow each of the eight or nine city street sweepers typically in operation during the spring-through-fall street sweeping season.

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Mustang runs into parked semi on Ohio Street

2010-04-16T08:40:00.001-05:00

EVANSVILLE, IN (WFIE) - There was a bizarre head on crash on Ohio Street in Evansville.

It happened just after 3:30 Thursday morning on a portion of the street that is closed for repairs.

Evansville police say a red Mustang ignored the road closed sign and hit a parked semi.

They say the driver of the semi was asleep inside the cab and didn't hear or feel the crash.

The driver of a street sweeper noticed the scene and called police.

Officer say they believe some time had passed between the time of the accident and the time it was called in because blood on the driver was already dry.

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Reminder: Avoid yellow tickets all summer long

2010-04-09T08:07:00.001-05:00

April's here, which mean the snow is melting, the grass is growing -- and the dreaded city street sweepers are back trolling the streets, leaving in their wake a trail of yellow parking tickets on the windshields of all those cars that weren't moved out of the way when they were supposed to.

For the past few years, Denver residents could sign up for monthly reminders to move their car before that happened through MyMotorMaid.com, a service that partnered with Denver's Department of Public Works. But late last year that website went kaput after it was compromised by techno-baddies. So the city department took matters into their own hands, coming up with their own version of the service on www.KeepItCleanDenver.org.

Just head over to the site, click on the "Show Your Pride, More Your Ride," sweeper icon, and enter the day of the week your street sweeping occurs. That's it -- no forms to fill out, no fees. Then, the day before the street sweeper comes calling, you'll get a helpful e-mail telling you to move your ride.

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