Street Sweeping: Zamboni of the Roadway
Brian Lathrop
Street Superintendent
City of Lennox
There are two main types of street sweepers: Air and Broom. The city of Lennox utilizes a broom sweeper to clean its roadways. Equipped with an onboard water tank and spray nozzles, the sweeper wets street surfaces to loosen dirt and debris. Rotating steel brushes on either side of the machine scrub the dirt free and funnel it into a windrow underneath the unit. A centralized broom then sweeps the dirt onto a conveyer and into a hopper. It is a long, slow process that can take several passes to complete. The streets crew operates the sweeper in zones identical to that of snow removal (North, East, West, Rest). High traffic and emergency routes are taken care of first, followed by each residential zone.
Street sweeping keeps the road surface clean. It is much safer for pedestrians as well as motorcycle and bicycle traffic. It also helps prevent excess debris from ending up in the city’s storm sewer system. Sweepers are vital in preventing the backup of rainwater, and maybe more importantly given the state we live in… melting snow. During snow season, the streets crew can spread upwards of 75-100 tons of salt/sand mix. Snow melts, but sand does not. Without a sweeper, storm drains would become clogged with this type of debris, leaving melted snow with no place to drain. Street sweeping is also a very important aspect of cleaning potentially harmful substances (vehicle fluids), from seeping into the storm sewer system and eventually streams and waterways. The EPA has defined street sweeping as one of the best management practices in preventing storm water runoff contamination. Lastly, on an aesthetic note, most residents would likely prefer their surroundings to look clean, in general.
Annually, the City of Lennox has averaged roughly 65 tons of sediment and debris cleaned from roadways and streets since the purchase of its new sweeper in 2023. A number approximately 3-4 times higher than that of the old sweeper. Removing that much material can come at a price: Maintenance. The sweeper has hundreds of moving parts across several systems, all of which need to work in perfect harmony to effectively do its job. It is also the dirtiest job performed by the city’s equipment. Which means there is exhaustive maintenance required to keep the machine performing at a top tier level. From lubrication and daily power washing, to brush and conveyer alignment, the work scope of a sweeper stretches far beyond what is seen on the roadway. The next time you see the street sweeper on the road, give the operator a friendly wave or a thumbs up. It is very much appreciated.