PHILADELPHIA – Department of Sanitation Commissioner, Crystal Jacobs Shipman, announces the return of the weekly seasonal Mechanical Street Cleaning Program. The 2026 season runs Monday, April 6 through Thursday, October 29, 2026. The Department will host three virtual community meetings where residents and stakeholders can learn about the Mechanical Cleaning Program. Attendees will also have an opportunity to ask Departmental leadership questions following the presentation.

Residents and stakeholders are invited to attend any of the following Zoom meetings using the credentials: Meeting ID: 851 7441 1870 and passcode: 538322. Residents can also connect via phone at 267-831-0333. A Zoom presentation followed by a live question and answer segment is available on the following dates:

  • Monday, April 6 at 10:00 a.m.
  • Wednesday, April 8 at 6:00 p.m.
  • Friday, April 10 at 12:00 p.m.

The Mechanical Street Cleaning Program is part of the City of Philadelphia’s commitment to reduce trash and litter conditions in the City’s most vulnerable communities. Mechanical street cleaning is an effective tool in reducing litter from city streets and preventing trash and debris from entering the water systems.

Aligning with Mayor Parker’s approach to addressing quality-of-life issues, the Sanitation Department continues to provide mechanical cleaning in 14 neighborhoods identified through the Litter Index as having the highest concentration of litter. These areas have been identified as requiring additional city services to supplement cleaning efforts in the area.

For the 2026 season, the program has been expanded in eight of the existing cleaning areas to begin consolidating the geographic boundaries already receiving mechanical street cleaning. Integrating the areas allows for a proactive strategy that addresses trash and litter conditions in the City’s most vulnerable communities.

The 2026 Mechanical Cleaning Program will launch on Monday, April 6 in the following areas. The boundaries in bold text have been expanded to include the cleaning of additional streets. The areas not highlighted remain the same from the previous year.

  • Frankford: Levick to Bridge Sts. from Frankford Ave. to Keystone / Bridge to Orthodox Sts. from Griscom St. to Torresdale Ave. / Orthodox St. to Castor Ave. from Castor Ave. to Torresdale Ave.
  • Germantown: Berkley St./Stenton Ave. to Chelten Ave. from Pulaski Ave. to Wakefield St.
  • Kensington: Front St. to Castor Ave. from Wyoming Ave. to Tioga / Tioga St. to Lehigh Ave. from 2nd St. to Kensington Ave.
  • Logan: Roosevelt Blvd. to Godfrey Ave. from Broad to Mascher Sts. and Roosevelt Blvd. to Glenwood Ave. from Broad to Front Sts.
  • Nicetown: Broad to 20th Sts. from Lindley/Logan to Wagner Ave. and Broad to Clarissa Sts. from Windrim to Hunting Park and Broad St. to Hunting Park from Hunting Park to Westmoreland St.
  • North Central: Broad St. to 22nd St. from Allegheny to Girard
  • Paschall: 58th to 62nd Sts. from Grays Ave. to Lindbergh Ave. and 62nd to 70th Sts. from Cobbs Creek Pkwy. to Dicks Ave.
  • Point Breeze: Christian to McKean Sts. from Broad to 24th Sts.
  • Port Richmond: Lehigh Ave. to Torresdale Ave. from Kensington Ave. to Aramingo Ave.
  • South Philly:  McKean St. to Oregon Ave. from 4th to 8th Sts.
  • Southwest: Woodland Ave. to Kingsessing Ave. from 49th St. to Cemetery Ave. and 58th to 61st Sts from Cobbs Creek Pkwy. to Chester Ave.
  • Strawberry Mansion: Lehigh Ave. to Girard Ave. from 33rd to 22nd Sts and 22nd to 29th Sts from Allegheny Ave. to Lehigh Ave.
  • West Fairhill: Broad to 2nd Sts. from Glenwood Ave. to Lehigh Ave. and Broad to Front Sts. from Lehigh Ave. to Girard Ave.
  • West Philly: Parkside Ave. to Woodland Ave. from 52nd to 40th Sts.

Vehicle Relocation and Parking:
To facilitate a more detailed cleaning, there will be restricted parking on some streets in all 14 areas. Some of the routes in the expanded mechanical cleaning program will require residents to move their vehicles. This will occur on streets wide enough to accommodate relocation of vehicles.

Mechanical broom cleaning is most effective when the brooms can reach the curb lines. The City’s densely populated neighborhoods present challenges when relocating vehicles. The areas can be tight and finding parking spaces can be scarce. Therefore, relocation of vehicles is selected based on the width of each block.

No Parking signage during specified times is posted in all 14 areas. Parking is restricted between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., on a staggered schedule. Parking intervals will be staggered from 9 – 11 a.m., 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., and 1 – 3 p.m. The program will operate four days per week, Monday through Thursday excluding City-observed holidays. Any unplanned obstacles, i.e., blocked streets or mechanical failure may cause a delay or cancellation for the day. Efforts will be made to service locations as quickly as possible.

Enforcement:
For the success of the program and to avoid fines, motorists must adhere to the parking restrictions listed on the posted signs. To allow residents to become reacclimated to the parking restrictions, there will be a warning period for all 14 sections. Beginning on Monday, April 13, posted “No Parking” signs will be enforced with assessed fines.  The Parking Authority will be issuing tickets to vehicles parked on the roadway during specified no parking times through Thursday October 29, 2026.

The Sanitation Department is actively posting signs on newly included streets in the expanded areas. Enforcement will occur on streets that have posted signage. Streetsweepers will be activated on the new blocks and old blocks alike. However, enforcement of the program on streets newly added in 2026 will be delayed allowing for additional notification to residents before PPA begins to enforce the posted signs.

Background:
The Mechanical Cleaning Program is a hybrid of mechanical sweeping, sidewalk litter and trash removal, and trash compactor removal. This program is more comprehensive than standard mechanical sweeping. Equipment used in some areas will help to clear loose litter on sidewalks and other items not easily accessible with a standard mechanical sweeper. The equipment includes mechanical brooms (large and small), sidewalk sweepers, push brooms, and trash compactors used to remove illegally dumped materials. Backpack blowers will be used as part of the program but not on all streets. They are an effective tool when clearing debris from sidewalks and on small streets where the mechanical broom is unable to fit. Some streets in each pilot area may have sidewalk cleaning maintenance along with mechanical broom cleaning weekly.

To ensure proper cleaning is maintained, SWEEP Officers will patrol neighborhoods to educate residents on sanitation violations related to trash and litter and may issue warnings on vehicles not moved during designated times. To minimize the inconvenience during parking restrictions, residents are urged to utilize SweepPHL, a web-based map that allows residents to track and monitor the progress of the mechanical broom. The online tool is housed on StreetSmartPHL.phila.gov.

The Sanitation Department will continue to evaluate and adjust logistics as necessary to ensure the Mechanical Street Cleaning Program operates effectively and efficiently. Residents are reminded that the program supports community led efforts to clean blocks. City Sanitation regulations must be adhered to including setting trash out on regular collection day in the authorized location. Only household trash should be set out for pick up. Visit www.phila.gov/sanitation for specific regulations.

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