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HRM staff are reviewing streetsweeping schedules and will be proposing possible changes to the way that steetsweeping is implemented on the peninsula. Once this review is completed I will provide updated information on possible new direction for the service.
I continue to receive calls about the negative impact of noise by night time street cleaning in District 14. All street cleaning (from mid-April to mid-November) happens at night on the peninsula – in other areas of HRM where this service is offered (Dartmouth, Clayton Park, Bedford) the service is done in the daytime. Daytime service means that streets are done about once a month and if cars are parked, the sweepers have to drive around them leaving the curbside unswept. The signed routes have street cleaning once per week and non-signed routes are done about once a month. Advantages of having night time street sweeping are that on signed streets there is greater opportunity to have the streets cleaned in a more efficient manner and done with greater frequency. Disadvantages are that on signed streets it restricts parking and there are noise impacts. It has been suggested that street sweeping only needs to be done during leaf collection in the fall. There are certain areas of the peninsula that definitely need to be cleaned on a regular basis such as the downtown area. There is also a significant amount of seeds and other tree foliage that falls during different times of the year and in an effort to keep this material and other garbage from the drainage/storm sewer system the street sweeping program plays a role in minimizing this. HRM is also planning to purchase four new street sweepers that are significantly quieter which may reduce the negative noise impacts.
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