Ask The City – Why Spend Money Street Sweeping & Not Plowing?

Your Question:

Why waste so much of the tax-payers; money on street sweeping, an annoying and senseless activity; yet ignore the same streets during the winter months when they are often covered in dangerous snow and ice?

The City's Answer:

Some benefits of street sweeping activities include:

• Removal of debris from the right of way that otherwise would present safety issues with vehicles and pedestrians. 
• It removes particles that degrade to dust and present air-quality issues.
• Removes debris that obstructs storm sewer grates and pipes
• Protects water quality of the Laramie River waterway that is the ultimate destination of city storm water

 Snow removal and control actively occurs on approximately 30-miles of city streets.  Priority is placed on identified snow routes, and then on three additional levels of roadway.  During times of snow events, it is common to have all forces out in a continual cycle of maintenance on these routes, due to blowing and drifting or additional snowfall.  It is the city’s policy to provide additional plowing on residential streets only if they become impassible.   Follow up activities after snow events include repeated ice-control and removal of snow as warranted.

 As sweeping and snow control do not occur in the same times of year, they are not conflicting tasks when resources are committed to each from the City’s Street Division.

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