Montgomery County’s annual street sweeping program on residential roadways began in April. This joint effort between the Department of Transportation and Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) removes abrasives and other debris left behind after the winter snow season and improves the appearance and safety of streets. Based on past results, the spring cleaning on about 4,000 of the County’s 5,000 lane miles of roads should remove 2,000 tons of material that could otherwise be washed into streams.
Removing excess debris and abrasives from road surfaces helps to keep drainage systems clean, improves water quality and reduces pollutants flowing into local streams and the Chesapeake Bay. Roads in areas identified by DEP as priority watersheds will be swept first and, if needed, will receive additional sweepings.
Brightly colored signs are posted in neighborhoods a few days before street sweeping begins. To improve the quality of service and the effectiveness of the sweeping program, residents are urged to find alternative parking while their streets are cleaned.
Daily updates detailing which areas are scheduled for street sweeping are available online on the County’s website. Additional information about the street sweeping program is available by calling 311 or 240-777-0311 from outside the County weekdays (or TTY, call 301-251-4850) from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
