By Sam Borsato - @BorsatoSam on Twitter

Tougher Enforcement Coming for Spring Street Sweeping

Apr 6, 2016 | 11:49 AM

LETHBRIDGE – City of Lethbridge street sweepers are set to hit neighborhoods by next week to start their spring clean up.

However, efforts will be stepped up this year to make sure streets are as clean as possible. Residents not obeying posted “no parking” signs has caused issues in the past, with the Transportation Department saying they would have to either work around the vehicles or leave large portions of the street unswept.

Residents will now be given more notice than ever when sweepers will be in their neighborhood. Door hangers will be placed on homes one week prior, notices will be slipped under car windshield wipers the night before and the usual boards posting the “no parking” ban will be in place at least 12 hours ahead of time.

After that, the city is then authorized to tow those in violation.

“If residents’ cars are left on the road during the sweeping day after the two notices they receive, we’re actually going to move their car… We’re going to try to park it as close to where we removed it from,” noted Lee Perkins, Transportation Operations Manager.

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“This year, as it is a pilot project, there will be no tickets or fines, plus they won’t be responsible for the towing fees. This is a very courteous, polite way of trying to help residents help us.”

That said, the city recognizes that some people may be away on vacation during their street sweeping day, and are working on further notification processes so vehicles can be moved well in advance.

Perkins stressed that street sweeping is the city’s largest pollution control program. He wants to make sure they can do as thorough a job as possible, so debris doesn’t flow into the storm sewer system and end up in the Old Man River.

As a safety precaution, Perkins reminds residents that the sweepers are slow moving vehicles and the driver has less visibility as they are right-hand drive. Parents should also be mindful of their children when near the sweepers.

Sweeping will start in south neighbourhoods on April 11, move to the north and finish on the west side.