Street Sweeping Efforts in Ward 3

Street sweeping in Ward 3 is delivered through a combination of City-operated services and contracted maintenance work. The approach may vary by neighbourhood depending on the maintenance zone, the type of street, operational needs, and the equipment assigned to the area.

In some parts of the ward, sweeping is completed through an area-based (fixed price) contract. Under this type of contract, the scope of work and cost are established in advance. City supervisory staff oversee the planned work and verify that it has been completed to the City’s satisfaction before payment is issued. The contractor is not paid on an hourly basis for labour or equipment under this model.

Contractors may use different equipment and methods depending on conditions, available resources, and operational practices. For example, a contractor may first use a large mechanical sweeper to collect heavier materials such as leaves, branches, dirt, and debris, followed by a regenerative air or vacuum sweeper to remove finer material. Depending on the amount of material left behind after winter, more than one pass may be required to achieve the desired result.

Other neighbourhoods and residential streets in the ward are serviced by City crews and/or hourly-based contracted sweepers. These contractors are retained through a competitive procurement process and are assigned routes based on daily operational needs. City staff supervise this work directly throughout their shift.

Residents may notice sweepers returning to the same street more than once. This can happen for several reasons, including heavier accumulations of winter grit, dirt, leaves, and debris, or because additional passes are needed to complete the work properly. When parked vehicles prevent sweepers from accessing sections of the curb, those areas are documented and crews return at a later time when access is available.

This year, street sweeping may require additional effort because the winter season was longer and included many snow events and days with snowfall. As a result, more grit was applied to residential streets to manage snow, ice, and slippery conditions. This may lead to additional sweeping passes in some areas this spring.