Street Cleaning

About the Department

The City of Savannah Street Cleaning Department has 18 specialized employees, a total of 21 assigned vehicles, and two working shifts that are responsible for cleaning city streets both day and nights, with the majority of work being performed at night. See sweeping schedule.

Responsibilities

The Street Cleaning Department has the responsibility for sweeping approximately 36,000 curb miles per year, which includes both scheduled and nonscheduled sweeping requirements. Street sweeping frequencies are weekly, biweekly, monthly, and quarterly, which varies throughout given areas of the city.

As employees of the City of Savannah it is our duty to render efficient service that promotes environmental safety and healthy living condition throughout the City of Savannah. As a citizen of Savannah, you are part owner of Savannah' vast infrastructure which provides approximately 36,000 miles of curb streets. As proud owners, we all must do our part by working together to keep our streets free of litter and debris. Employees throughout the city work long hours to keep our city beautiful. But this is a huge undertaking that is too big for them to handle alone.

Parked Vehicles

At night, citation writers are responsible for citing illegally parked vehicles. Their primary job is to accompany the street sweepers on zoned routes, writing citations on improperly parked vehicles along the routes. Parked cars are prevalent on city streets in Savannah, especially within the inner city areas which include downtown, historical district, and other residential locations. Individuals who violate the no parking ordinance by not removing their cars during sweeping schedules cause streets to not be properly cleaned, resulting in unsightly accumulation of debris, leaves, etc.

There are four sweep zones on each route (weekly). Each zone has signs designating the times when parking is not allowed so that streets can be properly cleaned (see City Ordinance Section 7-1095 Reference Sec 225). It states that "Parking is hereby prohibited on the streets listed in section 225 of appendix I, which is hereby incorporated herein and made a part of this Code by reference, a copy of which shall be maintained on file in the office of the clerk of council and in the office of the city traffic engineer, during the hours designated, for the purpose of cleaning the same; provided, however, that such prohibition shall not apply unless and until appropriate signs are displayed and maintained on the designated streets indicating the hours of prohibition." In this capacity, the citation writers also assist the sweeper operators in quality control. Letting the sweepers know if they bypass debris along their routes. This is especially helpful at night when it is more difficult to perceive sweeping effectiveness from inside the sweeper (code 1977§225).

Support the Department

We need your support and here is how you can help: Sanitation Ordinance (4-2012) prohibits placing or blowing litter and debris into the streets and gutters. If you observe any business or residents violating this ordinance, you can report it by calling the City of Savannah' Call Center by dialing 3-1-1 from any phone. Do not rake or blow leaves, grass, litter or debris into the street. Leaves can form a mat that blocks intakes, potentially flooding your block. Street sweepers bypass leaf piles because hidden objects buried beneath may damage sweeper equipment.

Department Mission & Goal
The mission of the Street Cleaning Department is to maintain an acceptable level of cleanliness level, free of liter and debris, on all curbed and paved streets throughout the City of Savannah by effectively and efficiently providing the required services that are performed through combined efforts of four programs:

  • Street Sweeping
  • Citation Writing
  • Sign Maintenance
  • Front End Loader Operations

Our goal is to maintain a city with all curbed and paved streets free of litter and debris reflecting an acceptable level of cleanliness that ensures an environmentally safe and healthy community. The City of Savannah is one of the few cities in the United States that has a systematic street cleaning programs. Savannah is a leader in street cleaning operations; other cities throughout the country frequently contact the City of Savannah seeking information regarding street cleaning operations. Both quality and uniqueness help to distinguish Savannah' street cleaning program as being innovative, stable and productive.