Many homeowners may not know it, but there is more to what street sweeping vehicles do other than clean city streets. In the Greater Toronto Area or GTA, it is usual to see these vehicles every spring. They often come in pairs and with dump trucks for additional storage of collected wastes during the initial spring street cleaning.
In Ontario, what homeowners often see is just street sweeping vehicles flushing asphalt-coated streets with water and cleaning off debris and winter sand. However, there is more to this task than just cleanliness. Street sweeping has two more effects that are equally as important. And both these effects have to deal with the safety of the GTA community and conservation of resources.
Keeping the Community Safe and Conserving Natural Resources
The first effect that street sweeping has to the community is prevent clogs in drainage systems. During winter, a lot of debris collects on streets and hardens along with snow. But when spring comes that snow melts, what is left are debris which can clog drainage and can cause different degrees and levels of water accumulation. But no matter what level it is, water accumulation on the streets is never a good thing. It can cause bacterial or mold growth, which can harm the health of the community.
Another equally important effect that street sweeping offers is reduce particulate matter or PM such as metal particles and waste products resulting from fuel combustion in vehicles. Many homeowners are not aware, but these PM can be dangerous to health when inhaled and can harm fish and other wildlife when they find their way to bodies of water after they go through the sewage system.
In fact, the second effect of street sweeping is what urged several cities in the Greater Toronto Area to use regenerative air street sweepers after a study made on how it reduced the PM10 (particulate mater sized at 10 micrometers) level in the immediate vicinity. In one city alone, 50 street sweepers were operative upon initial launch of this city street cleaning project.
What Homeowners Can Do to Help
So every time you see one of those street sweepers, keep in mind that they are doing more than just cleaning your streets. In fact, it will be better to take part in this environment conservation project.
The first thing you can do to help is to keep your cars and any other vehicles out of the residential street once it's scheduled to be swept. When cars are on the street during a scheduled cleaning, the street sweeping vehicles avoid them, plus an equivalent of two more car sizes. These humongous vehicles take a lot of space to maneuver around street vehicles.
Aside from vehicles, clear your residential streets of yard trimmings and trash cans as well. Street sweeping vehicles avoid any pile of trimmings to avoid any objects such as rocks that may damage the machinery.
Lastly, stay off restricted parking spaces. Although they are meant to be car parking spaces, they may be restricted due to cleaning schedules. Street sweeping do not occur on City and residential streets alone, they also cover asphalted parking spaces, recreational areas, bikeways and walkways.
These things requires just a small amount of effort from you but their effects will go a long way in helping your community become a safer place to live in and in conserving natural resources.
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