A street-cleaning program for Dorchester, Mission Hill and Jamaica Plain kicked off Monday, which will concentrate cleaning efforts after trash collections take place throughout the city.
“Keeping Boston’s neighborhoods clean is a top priority of mine, as well as our residents,” said Boston Mayor Thomas Menino in a press release Mar. 26. “These schedule changes will allow us to clean streets in a way that improves our operations and maximizes the benefits of sweeping.”
The plan marks the start of the second year of a plan proposed by Boston Public Works, which had the initial idea to more carefully align trash collection and street cleaning schedules, said BPW Chief of Staff Matt Maryl.
“The commissioner of Public Works brought this idea to the mayor and supported it,” Maryl said. “[Commissioner Joanne Massaro] is always interested in ways that we can keep our streets cleaner, and this is just a common-sense way — make sure you’re sweeping after the trash collection, not before it.”
City Councilor Matt O’Malley, of Jamaica Plain, said the plan is a good step for the city toward dealing with trash and litter issues in these areas.
“I think [more effective policy] is something we should push for, and it’s good that changes are taking place,” O’Malley said. “It makes sense to make changes like this, and to use our time and resources as effectively as possible. It’s a step in the right direction.”
Maryl said last year, similar scheduling revisions were enacted in Charlestown, East Boston, South Boston and the South End.
“This has been a two-year project to better align the trash and street sweeping schedules, so last year we did one half of the city and this year we came back and did the other half,” he said. “It went very smoothly last year in the other half of the city.”
The city of Boston is taking many steps to prepare the residents of these areas as well, ensuring that they are aware of the scheduling changes, according to the release.
“We’ve done a lot to try to make sure we notify residents,” Maryl said. “We did a flyer drop, delivered fliers to the door and we’ll be out putting fliers on cars as well, reminding people that as long as you check the signs, you’re going to be fine.”
About 6,500 new street signs have been added in the three neighborhoods in order to ensure that residents are aware of the new schedule and are informed of their streets’ cleaning times, according to the release.
Although the city is moving toward a more efficient cleaning system, Maryl said the residents and their knowledge of the schedules is still a priority.
“We’re focusing harder this year on getting closer in coordination right behind trash collection and we want to make sure the residents know about that,” he said. “We don’t want to tow people if we don’t have to.”
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